Elder Scrolls: Arena - Tenyin Mariner
by Assassin Black
Summary: Tenyin Mariner, a Redguard, in events well beyond her expectations. She is forced to thwart a plan that can threaten the world itself. It is a race against time to do what is possible to save Tamriel from a possible tyrant. Storyline inspired by gameplay taken directly from the game.
1. Chapter 1

I am Tenyin Mairner, an honorable Redguard woman who is part of the council stationed in the Imperial City itself. I represent the entirety of the Redguard race from Hammerfall, speaking on behalf of their best interests. I was born and trained to be the best possible for the position I was given at my early age. Although I am still not young myself, just reaching the ripe age of 30, I am very much not any weaker or unable to hold my possible. I was given the title of Knight and held such while not attending my duties on the court, during which I am simply called a politician with no specific title.

This was all before I was caught while doing my duties in the Imperial Tower. The last few months have been nothing but work because of the mysterious changing of The Emperor, Uriel Septim IV, and the even more odd disappearance of Jagar Tharn and Talin. The two posed as leaders of the Battlemages and Imperial Guards respectively but the odd thing about their absence is that there is no way Uriel would be without one of them by his side. He trusts them with this own life but all that is there to replace it are two random Imperial Soldiers. I don't know why that has changed but it has more than just myself worried and confused. The date is Year 389 of the Third Era and the last thing I can remember is preparing to leave for Hammerfall for some long time off. Everything suddenly blacked out and my mind went blank for an unknown amount of time.

When I came to, I could not bring myself to open my eyes or get any clear sight on where I was. The ground I was laying on felt exactly like cold, solid stone of a dungeon. I personally hadn't felt it myself seeing as I had done nothing to condemn myself to such a miserable place but the emptiness and silence gave it away. Even in the colds of Skyrim, my skin had gotten used to all the different climates of Tamriel, given enough time to acclimate of course. This cold, though, was different. It wasn't anywhere near as cold as the blizzards of Skyrim but this was simply a stale feeling, the chilling held air of death. Thankfully, I felt the linen from a basic outfit keep the icy sensation away a little in addition to my abundant, brown hair. It felt stiff as well, barely being able to assist the linens for warmth.

After getting the basic picture of what was below me and not hearing any movement besides rats, I felt brave enough to open my eyes and what I saw was just as unappealing as I had imagined it. The cells in the Imperial City were, in no way, made for comfort or a day off. I was surrounded by the same cold stone as I had foreseen. My muscles ached and were stiff, probably meaning that I had been dumped in the cell quickly after blacking out. It has been hours as well and they were not thinking of what would happen if I had woken up at all. It was apparent they had no interest in killing me, most likely not wanting to cause any sort of internal problems within the many races and territories of Tamriel. It was a smart political decision for sure, and whatever had happened, must have come up from the ones that were much, much higher in the political positions than myself. Despite the fact that I wasn't the highest member of the council by far but I can always theorize and I have an initial theory before moving from my position. With the odd behavior of Uriel Septim and the absence of Jagar and Talin, I can make the initial suspicion that one of the two had something to do with it. It could be someone outside the Imperial City but Uriel never was a pushover, even when confronted face to face…

I had to ignore my suspicions until I was somewhere safe, or in this case somewhere that wasn't in the Imperial Dungeons. After my body had fought against the slight paralysis, I stumbled to my feet and noticed a couple other small but unnecessary details including hanging shackles and moss growing from the unkempt hold. A few awkward steps forward and the room appeared bigger, having a symmetrical look of a 'U' shape with the other side containing both a table and the locked prison door. There was no apparent way out, the cells being unkempt but sealed and extremely well-made enough to not be inescapable.

"So, this is going nowhere. Stuck in the worst place possible with no way of leaving. I couldn't do anything an-ARGGHHHH!" I wasn't going to do anything extreme right away but before I could even begin to formulate a plan, a massive pain erupted from my head. It was far more than any sort of migraine that I had felt before, feeling much more…deep than anything else I had before. This was more than just a pain in my head, it felt like a pain directly in my brain itself. It lasted a few moments until something unexpected happened, a voice invaded my mind and I couldn't hear anything else besides it.

"Do not fear for it is I, Ria Silmane. Tenyin Mairner, listen to me, there are no others left to carry on this fight. You have been left in this cell to die. Jagar Tharn, Imperial Battlemage of Tamriel, has taken on the guise of the true Emperor. He does not see you as a threat, being only a minor part of the Imperial Court. In that act of arrogance, he has made his first mistake. Look to the north wall of this cell. You will find a ruby key which will unlock the door. Take it and make your escape! The passages here were once used by Tharn to hide treasures he had stolen from the Emperor's coffers. If you wish, you can gather enough to support yourself away from the Imperial Seat. Be careful, though, as there are many creatures which inhabit the sewers now: Vile rats and goblins." The woman, who has given the name of Ria, spoke on length about escape but gave me time to stop my head from completely blocking her voice out. It wasn't painful when she had truly started talking but my assumption was that the invasion of my mind was what had caused the initial pain. I had lost control of my body for a moment, realizing where I had gotten to and it was no more comfortable than where I had started, if not worse in ways. I had curled up on the stone floor, hands gripping my head hard in an attempt to cease the pain I can only assume. My eyes were also closed again, meaning I didn't know where in the room I had gone, not that there were very many places to go.

"Give me a minute then to regain my senses!" I knew I was visibly screaming to no one seeing as this person, this Ria, was not apparently anywhere close by. This was probably some very advanced level of Mysticism or maybe Alteration of some sort, something to play a trick of some sort but that didn't give any real information that was useful, for example how to get out of this cell other than the key that was laying out coincidentally. Either way, I found my eyes were already moving to somewhere that was described, not sure where to look right away seeing as I couldn't tell which way was north, but the glint of a stone other than gray gave its position away automatically. I carefully made my way not even a few steps away to the table that held the apparent key to my cell. Before I could pick it up, though, the feeling of my head exploding came back in a sudden wave. I quickly leaned onto the waist height table in front of me and waited for Ria to continue, if it was going to be her again.

"It is too late for me, for I am already dead. Only my powers as a Sorceress keep me between this life and the next. That power however is waning. Do not succumb to greed or you may find these tunnels to be your final resting place as well. I can still use my magic to a certain extent. If you travel west from this cell, then south, you will find a Shift Gate. It will transport you far enough from the center of the Empire where you should be safe. If you survive these sewers, you will see me again. Remember, Tenyin, Tharn has taken the guise of the Emperor. There are a very little amount of individuals who will take your word over his." Ria had stopped talking for a moment again, giving me time to completely take in what she had said. My suspicion of Jagar or Talin was on point but from what this Ria woman was saying, Jagar is to blame and he took the position of Uriel himself. If Uriel was in a different dimension without any sort of powerful magic around, he couldn't leave without a scroll but I can't say I have heard of a scroll powerful enough to transport one, let alone two, either way. After a moment of my own mind being free of pain and anyone's thoughts but my own, Ria continued with whatever she had left to say. It wasn't extremely painful like before but I couldn't think about moving for the time.

"I will come to you again in your dreams, so it is imperative that you rest from time to time. In that way, I will be able to communicate with you and lend you my aid. You are entering a dangerous arena, my friend, one which the players are beings beyond your mortal comprehension. I do not envy your role. There is however a power within you yet untapped. Look for me when you have gained experience in the world. You are my last and best hope…" Ria's voice faded out until both the cell and my own head were completely silent once again. While regaining my posture, I was surprised to find I had not moved or fallen to my knees again. It was a relief, though, seeing as if I wanted to get out, I couldn't let myself be beaten by a little bit of a headache. The ruby key below me stood out still and I wasted no time in putting my hand through the bars and easily maneuvering the key around the lock. It surprisingly opened instantly, meaning this all could be a serious problem and not just some demented trick by someone.

The surroundings outside the cell were just as 'welcoming' as the safe and locked deathtrap. The corridors outside the cells were, as expected, as much of a maze than any other dungeon made years ago. If anybody were to get out without any direction, with equipment or not, couldn't find the exit unless they were given a clue. Not that the clue given to me helped, seeing as all I was told was to first go west then south to some possible 'Shift Gate' to wherever the sick mage wanted me to be taken to.

Given the alternative of rotting in a cell, I had to admit that having even a slight chance of finding a way out BEFORE rotting outside the cell was the better sounding option. It seemed like the last person to come through left a few items probably before dying or trying to get out somehow. There was a small, linen sack lying beside a quickly disposed of rusting broadsword. It wasn't anything fit for a knight but even a dirk could be a weapon fit for a king in this situation.

"Who's there?!" I instantly perked up at a noise coming from an unknown position. It sounded like a grunting of sorts, speaking aloud not my best move alone but I wasn't going to let anything sneak up on me. The broadsword was surprisingly heavier than most generic models, meaning it wasn't a typical shop bought iron toy blade. It was steel at the very least but I easily held it my right hand, my other ready to react at the slightest aggression from the left. The sound either had echoed from a faraway location in the maze of halls, which was the most likely scenario, or the grunting thing was a very good rogue. It was silent for a moment and my body had calmed itself down, letting me completely assess my situation. I was stuck in the virtually endless maze of the worst Imperial Dungeons with a broadsword and an extremely vague idea of where I was going. Despite the horrible wording, this wasn't the worst thing that could have happened. I was at least left alive for some reason, probably to be decayed and fed later to the beasts that populated the stone halls.

When the noises had gone quiet again and I was again examining the architecture of the halls that surrounded me. They looked the same as the cell, a gray stone with moss growing in many places but the hanging chains decorations were not around and the floors were made of a less expensive brownstone. The noises from whatever was lurking around magnified on the walls, which made me thankful that I wasn't something like a mage or at the very least, inexperienced in physical combat. Admittedly, it had been a while since I held a sword to actually protect myself but I at least still had my strength from the constant combat practice with mannequins.

"Better now than never. So, first west then south…could have said left or right first…" There was no way of telling which way that was but I did what I always did and that was go with what my gut told me to do. With the weapon drawn in front of me and after I had tied the bag of gold around my belt loop, I carefully started forward into the maze of stone corridors and iron gates.

It didn't take more than half a minute for me to meet my first vile creature but it was nothing more than a rabid rat. Granted, the thing could give me a disease and if not that, I doubt an open wound in an environment like this would be that pleasant. It skittered up to me, its body showing lots of damage already, mixing clear battle wounds with its dark brown fur to give it more of a look like an undead. It moved faster than the average rat, given how it was easily grown to at least five times the size, probably extra growth from the stranded adventurers or prisoners. I waited until it was in range of the broadsword and jabbed at its already partially defeated form, giving it its final moment of life before seeing its lifeless form falling for the final time. I paid no mind to it, keeping my eyes forward and my stance ready for any other foes. It only took another few seconds for another rat to make its way out of the twisting maze to try and get the jump on me. I dealt with this one the same as the other and continued around the maze for a few more minutes, going random directions that I felt were right and meeting more rats but a familiar sound broke the silence again. It was the same grunting as before, what I had heard after exiting the cell. It was closer and it sounded like more than one thing now. I immediately perked up once again, my safeguard feeling gone but instead replaced with adrenaline.

From one side of the split corridor behind me came two mid-sized green creatures. It didn't take a scholar to recognize them as goblins but these ones were different than the surface world ones. These looked to be much more desperate looking, far more aggressive. The giveaway was the large, red eyes that focused on anything that moved that came instantly on me and my ready standing form. The green monster held a large, rusted war-axe that looked it was made larger than the beast itself from how it strained to hold it above its own head. A quick judgement guess comparing it to my own size meant it came up to my lower chest, at least. The rest of the beast was not too different than many others, having green, loose skin and malnourished.

It cried a deep but loud grunt that sounded extremely familiar and it wasn't at the top of my thought list as it sprinted at me, ready to strike. Fortunately, it was nothing more than a mindless beast with no fighting skills that would only be able to hit the rats that were the only other hostile beings I have met so far. Still, judging when the axe was going to hit me from the left or right with the radical swinging was slightly harder but parrying was a skill I had all but mastered as a defender in wars. The axe ended up being close enough in no time and I expertly flipped the broadsword so the tip was facing downwards and the bladed edges perpendicular to myself and the goblin, my body turning sideways as not to strain myself when I take the shock with my eyes meeting the eyes of the goblin. Its eyes were shaking, not focusing on anything in particular.

The axe came from my left and I shifted my blade so the axe's metal blade edge did nothing but get stopped. The shock ran through my equipped arm, spreading actively to the rest of my body and dissipating it not even a second. The goblin reacted just as quickly as I started, pulling its axe back for a second swing but I was much faster. Before it even got the weapon backwards enough to effectively swing for any damage, my own strike came first by thrusting my broadsword forward. It kept its angle so I pushed hard forward while swinging upwards and it effortlessly made contact with the goblin. The strike cut directly through the beast more than enough to kill it without any chance of the goblin having time to retaliate. The goblin let out a final grunt before falling backwards in a growing pool of its own blood.

The adrenaline in me slowly decreased its boil, while I looked around constantly until I was sure I was alone and it was silent. Unfortunately, even when I was calm again, the grunts seemed to have multiplied but that was for obvious reasons. The grunt from the dead goblin dead in front of me attracted much more.

"Goblins and rats, not too hard but I don't know where in oblivion I am going still. That stupid gate can be anywhere and that stupid woman doesn't give me any more information." I lowered my weapon to my side, moving in the general direction of where I was suggested. The sounds of the grunts and squeaks didn't get quieter, in fact they got louder with every step in the labyrinth the Imperials decided to lay out for anybody. I couldn't even imagine who would think this was a good idea.

After a couple of other turns, hoping to see some indication of any magical gate but nothing came up. It wasn't a long time by any degree since I had been out of the cell, maybe twenty minutes, but I know how easy it is to die from water or food deprivation.

One turn later and I got met with an odd scene of two goblins fighting off a half a dozen aggressive rats. I may have passed by without a problem but I was much more of a tactical thinker and what I saw got me debating about seeing out the fight until no one but one remained. Both goblins wielded different sized axes, though they were both quite large, but one also had the other hand filled with a buckler that shrouded the front of the rest of the goblins body. It barely had knowledge of fighting with it as it used it as more of a large clubbing tool than a blocking armament. Either way, the rats were not getting very far. In not even a minute, the goblins came out victorious but the less armored one had a few more injuries than the other. I knew which was going to be killed first, whether it was injured more or not, and I was going to walk out here with hopefully more defense. The goblins wasted no time in frantically looking around, not at anything specific, but spied me and sprinted to me swinging wildly like before. The goblins didn't move in any tactical movement, so outsmarting them would be as easy as training new recruits. The goblin with the single axe came out front, swinging like the first one I had killed and It took but a swift motion of my broadsword to get the beasts axe bouncing back to its left. That meant the goblin with the buckler moved recklessly, pushing the parried goblin out of its way. I circled around the goblin in the middle of myself and my true target to get behind it. It took but a swift slice against the goblins neck to make it nothing more than a corpse in between myself and the buckler I wanted. The goblin left swung and the corpse got thrown out of the way, closing the gap. The goblin continued its reckless onslaught, myself taking a few large steps back, keeping the weapon from barely making contact with my body. The fact the goblin held a buckler in its other hand impeded my traditional attempt at slicing at the beast from its open spot, seeing as there were no open spot close by. I decided the only way was to get risky, hopefully not doing anything to cut this mission of mine severely shorter.

When the goblin swung away from me and more importantly away from the side with the buckler protecting it, my body reacted in tandem with my heads directions. My broadsword was held in my right hand only and I vaulted to the now more harmless side of the goblin. I lowered myself to get on the height of the goblin itself, purposely trying to confuse or stun it. It barely registered the change in height and had no problem in responding as well. I predicted the only move it could do and lifted my now free left arm to protect my defenseless head and body. The goblin shoved the buckler to the side I was at as hard as it could in retaliation and I took the blow. I didn't feel much pain at that exact moment but I knew that after this was over, I would most likely need a long lie down. The beasts strike dropped my guard a little but there was only one other thing I needed to accomplish and I made sure my weapon was in position well before getting behind the beast. It apparently had a little more brains than I expected, though, and started to twist its body to meet me face to face again. With the broadsword in position and pointing at the general direction of the beast, I thrusted hard forward, putting all my strength behind it. The blade certainly made contact due to resistance but I wasn't about to stop to check where or how severe of an injury it made. My only concern was getting out of the way, no matter the loss. My grip to the blade was cut and I fell to get farther away but that plan was cut short almost instantly by a heavy object falling on my outstretched and pivoted leg. It wouldn't have been anything to worry about normally but even though my adrenaline was still cancelling out a lot of discomfort, a twinge of pain came from the lower region of my leg. I simply ignored it and pushed the corpse off and retrieved my weapon and new buckler, walking away from the extremely messy room.

A few minutes had passed and I didn't see anything more of what I was looking for still. The Shift Gate had to be somewhere. I turned the corner again but something came back, the pain from fight before that I ignored. Before I could react, I had stumbled to the stone floor and my armaments fell along with me, clanging against the ground and causing a loud echo and myself letting out a hiss of pain.

"What happened?" I started to inspect my body and when I got to my legs, the evidence had not even dried up, looking more like it was only getting worse. The pain that I felt when the goblin fell was a deep gash on my left calf, from either the axe or, more likely, my own weapon that had protruded through the corpse. As an experienced warrior and a survivor of a lot worse than just a shallow wound, admittedly there were healers around to keep it from getting nearly as bad as this on most occasions, I kept a level head and examined my surroundings for anything that could give me a moments reprieve. I noticed another of the many scattered niches throughout the dungeon and stumbled my way over, bringing my equipment along with and using it as a crutch of sorts as well. When I was off the floor and in a more secure position, I inspected my leg but without any supplies, I couldn't do a thing. I clumsily pulled at my pants to reveal the wound but it was probably not the best idea. It was clearly not going to be long before it was too bad to walk due to some sort of infection.

"Hmph, there will probably be another to take up this mantle of 'Hero' I was forced to take." I didn't fear death, knowing that it happens to all beings at some point. My preference would be in a cozy house at a much older age than I currently was but I couldn't feel bad about what I had accomplished in my time. At the very least, I could die in a very slightly cozy position, seeing as the niche seemed to be a little warmer than the biting cold of the dungeons corridors. It wasn't a huge difference but enough that I could lay myself on my back and not be too uncomfortable. With the buckler laying on my stomach and the broadsword's handle below my hand just in case, I drifted off to what I expected to be a long sleep. It was almost instantly the adrenaline and shock from my situation was drained and the skittering that echoed on the stone walls lulled me into unconsciousness.


	2. Chapter 2

"I see you have strengthened your arm and your mind, Tenyin. It is time we began this journey." The voice returned, Ria Silmane, a mage that claimed to serve under Uriel Septim himself. The voice didn't cause pain this time but I was surprised, quickly jolting into a sitting position. This shouldn't have been possible, I thought I was going to die but I was still alive. Even more, the pain from my leg had all but left, which I quickly checked on and my eyes widened in much more than surprise. The wound was completely healed, leaving not even a scar.

"That's impossible…" I spoke aloud, carefully touching the place that the wound was before, expecting some sort of trick or illusion. That was not the case, though, and when I made contact, it was only with the flesh of my leg and no evidence anything had happened to it.

"I seen what had happened and I can explain enough to suppress your questions for now." Ria spoke again, grabbing my interest instantly. I didn't entirely throw away the idea of this being an illusion of some sort but I couldn't discount that there were dozens of other possibilities as well. I simply waited to hear the woman out, continuing to touch and inspect where the injury had been earlier.

"You are special, Tenyin. You are not like a normal Redguard in any way, as evidence by the injury that healed itself over the time you were resting. It won't happen while you are awake but whenever I can come to you while you are asleep, I can use what magic I still possess to heal minor injuries. I cannot heal anything fatal, even while you are resting, so remember that. Are you satisfied with the explanation?" I didn't answer right away, absorbing the information that had been told as if it were common knowledge. I wasn't against having the chance to live through events like what had happened without repercussions but I my pride get a little damaged at the fact it would be hard for me to die an honorable death. Then again, maybe fate had purposely given me this extraordinary gift for more than just to be killed because of a small mistake, if being sent on a quest to save the Emperor himself from imprisonment wasn't indication enough.

"For now…what is this journey that you speak of?" I wasn't entirely convinced of what was going on still, seeing as along with being put in an Imperial Prison and now having an almost infinite increase in healing ability, this still all seemed far too convenient or unusual. The only thing that would make this completely believable to me was finding that Shift Gate that was hidden somewhere in this dungeon.

"Close your eyes, I need to show you something." I did as was told, leaving Ria as the master of my vision for now. I expected some sort of battle or a destructive scene of some sort but what I saw was just the sky, as if I were outside and simply floating well above where any developed magic or trained body could take me. In front of me also was a floating item but I couldn't reach out and touch it, it just turned in place but it held my attention. The item that came into view was a staff of some sort, unlike anything that I had seen before.

"This is the staff of Chaos, the one item that can open the door between this world and the dimension to which the Emperor has been banished." The item mentioned was clearly a staff but it was not made by a novice and probably not even a master. This staff was most likely crafted by a group of people ranging from the most renowned of crafters and the most powerful mages, seeing as it had such immense power. It looked to be as tall as the average Imperial but not extremely detailed. The bottom most section was made into a sharp point, solid gold and obviously made for the event of an enemy that got within melee range. The handle made up most of the length and was a bright blue with about six gold rings up the length, spread out equally. What held the focus looked like it had the most work, though. The focus itself was a simple glass orb, entirely transparent and seemingly useless. The figure that held the orb looked to be the three-fingered claw of a beast, complete with the detailing of nails and even a joint before the handle met the object like the beast's hand was bent. That section was also made of solid gold but looked to be extremely strong like the pointed opposite end.

"Tharn used this item to destroy my corporeal form when I tried to warn the Council. He knew that the Staff of Chaos was nigh indestructible, having been made from the essence of the land itself but in that, he found the key. As the land is split, so did he shatter the Staff into eight perfectly formed pieces. These he scattered across the realm. I have been able to diving the location of the first piece, a place called Fang Lair." Ria went quiet again after the speech, giving myself time to register everything in a more organized way in my head. Ria had been killed whenever she figured out what had happened, trying to report to the very Council I had been part of ironically. After he had taken control of the Imperial City, took the place of the Emperor, and dealt with the other council members in an unknown way, Tharn broke the Staff into pieces and hid them so he couldn't be beaten. Even if he was clearly evil, Tharn always was a very good tactician especially when it came to the subject of magic or manipulation. He had gotten too much power from what it seemed, though.

"It is said that Fang Lair was originally built by the Dwarves of Kragen. Legend has it that a Great Wyrm drove the Dwarves from their home in the Dragon's Teeth and took the lair for itself." Then came the subject of Fang Lair. Being a native Redguard, I knew quite a bit about the legend of Fang Lair. It wasn't a guarded secret, rather something just about all native Redguards either knew or learned from someone else. A long lost Dwarven settlement that the Dwarves themselves lost to a ferocious Wyrm that made its own home in the same location. Despite the legend not being proven because of the fear of the Wyrm still in the lair, guarding its territory and letting no one pass. No one knows exactly where the Lair itself is anymore, as well.

"I only wish I knew the exact location. Perhaps there are sages or scholars who would know of this place. Somewhere in its dank depths lies the first piece of the Staff. I wish you well. I do not think Tharn knows of your escape but I can do little else in this form. I have tried to obscure your identity with a spell but I do now know how well it will hide you. Take care for Tharn may be searching. Go forth with the blessings of the true Emperor and myself…" Ria's voice faded again, probably reaching her limit. I was on my own for a while but I believed more that this woman was not a trick. The pieces given were too close to what has been said so far. I couldn't let myself fail on this now and I certainly couldn't let anyone take the place of Emperor who didn't deserve it.

My eyes fluttered open and after a moment of catching my thoughts again and getting my equipment in place, I set off into the labyrinth of the Imperial City dungeon again. After a few treacherous water gaps, dead ends, and weak enemies, I finally came to a swirling purple gate that seemed to lead to nothing except a black void as evidence by the center being just that. It almost looked like an illusion made by an apprentice in the school but there was something much different than that. In my travels, I have met up and even rode with a few mages from different schools and different interests of magic. This seemed too constant for a low-level user but too simple for a high-level user.

"This has to be the gate Ria was talking about. I don't see what I have to lose but I can't rush in recklessly." I held my buckler up to cover my chest and as much of my face as possible, moving my sword so it also was pointed forward in case there were things waiting on the other side. With a deep breath and a solid resolve, I pushed forward into the portal.

It seemed almost instant, the travel from the Imperial Dungeon into…wherever I ended up. For a small instant, I closed my eyes as there was a sudden change from darkened halls to an incredibly bright wide-open space. Whenever my brain registered what had happened, my body forced a stop to all movements and I stood wide eyed at what had happened. Ria was telling the truth, there was a portal and that could only mean that the Emperor was in trouble!

I couldn't celebrate though as the skittering noise from the Dungeon was replaced with the speech of citizens of wherever I was and the packing of snow below my feet. There was so much to take in and I could only think to begin with what was immediately around me, which wasn't much since I only felt the bite of the cold against my light clothing. I lowered my well-used broadsword to my side and the bruised buckler to the other. My feet would not will themselves to move, not out of cold or even fear but more out of amazement and caution. My head and mind were not addled, though.

I was surrounded by walls except for what was directly in front of me but I knew I did not turn my body at all. The gray stoned wall behind me had no portal or any source of magic whatsoever or even any evidence of such. There was something familiar about the abstract shape of the stone that made up the decorative shapes of the walls, though my attention was not at all what was familiar currently but what was opposite. The voices I heard started to get louder than the packing of snow and what I saw instantly led me to an immediate conclusion.

"The news spread even up here really quick. Apparently, there was some sort of problem in the Imperial City."

"It came here that fast, huh? Sounds like whatever it is might even affect us, surprisingly."

"I hope not. We never asked for their help and I don't know why their petty problems would do anything to us."

The voices were deeper than most and the dialect matched up exactly with what I was seeing. There were two Redguards talking as they passed me, not paying any attention to me thankfully as well. Common sense told me it was because I was also a Redguard and unless I looked to be in trouble, they wouldn't bother anyone else. The male with his head facing me glanced but nothing more and they were gone after a small instant. Redguard citizens and talking about the fact that the news concerning the Emperor didn't come here in too much detail meaning I had an idea where I was.

Belkarth Guard, one of the later developed towns because of the distance in land. It wasn't largely different from any other settlement in Hammerfell but I knew the names from my homeland, as expected of someone who had originally resided in the province. Other provinces like Skyrim or Elsweyr were ones I could only give the names of the larger cities or ones of some sort of tactical advantage. My position, before this not entirely unexpected treachery, helped me with memorizing some landmarks and cities.

That could barely help me now, though, except for giving me an idea of where I was and needed to go. This quest I was given was not going to be something that a few names was going to solve, especially with the false Emperor on the throne with almost unlimited power. Jagar certainly would have more than just names at his disposal. I would need much more than just what I currently have.

"Miss, are okay in there?" A voice broke me from my inner conversation and I turned from the wall that held my attention to a black haired Redguard. He didn't have the look of someone who was genuinely worried, more like someone who was worried about their own safety. I didn't have to see his hand to know he had it at the ready on his blade to fight.

"Fine, just…thinking about something." There was no way anyone would believe me no matter how gullible but I would also be dragged to the imposter himself most likely. I wouldn't be able to use my position in my defense since no one except high ranked officials knew or cared about my position. That is not to even mention the fact that if I got discarded into the dungeons, there is little chance the others I knew would have a different treatment.

The man said nothing and simply walked away, slowly moving his hand back to his side away from the weapon on his hip. I let out a long held in sigh and gathered my thoughts, thinking about what I would want to do first. I knew what I should do first was get myself some equipment or something of the sort but the problem with that was I had absolutely no money or any means to get some right now. With no connections in a small hold like this and no gold held elsewhere, I was backed into a corner, both literally and figuratively. First thing first, though, was I had enough from a few bags I found in the Imperial Dungeon to get a room at an Inn but that made another problem come to light. I didn't know the layout of every place in Hammerfell and even less of a place that I didn't spend any time in at all during my life. I would have to ask around to see where I could find one close by.

There was a fair share of people around, as expected seeing as even small 'towns' were large enough to hold a generous number of people. I pulled one aside and asked for the location and he gave me directions to the closest one. He didn't seem that phased at the fact I was still holding my equipment and surprised me with more information than I asked for. He generously informed me of the closest blacksmith, the best in his opinion apparently, and simply asked I make sure to mention the man. In truth, I had no intentions of doing so but I agreed nonetheless and went on my way.

The Inn was no more than a few minutes of a walk away and when I entered, I was greeted with the enveloping warmth of the building and the idle chatter as well. The building's entrance led directly to the main room, which had little windows. The Inn instead decorated its walls with portraits and the like of landscapes or people that were probably bought from the Imperial City or a local painter. The Redguards weren't known for their artistic abilities for the most part, though. The walls themselves didn't look to be in the best shape with some of the outer layer being broken away to reveal the inner section. Some of the decoration could only be assumed to be there to mask the state of the building. The Innkeeper beckoned me over and I obliged, hearing the laughs and talking of the other patrons but not glancing around. I was focused on one thing right now and I couldn't get distracted.

"Welcome to the Crimson Chasm! You look very, very weary but you are in a good place to bring yourself back to good spirits. Might I know your business first?" The innkeeper was a cheery and rotund Redguard, no doubt living life to its fullest. He also seemed to get straight to the point, the normal personality trait of the Redguard race showing itself yet again.

"I am just looking for a place to stay. I got in to a bit of a…situation while coming here and I lost a couple of things." I answered back just as directly, not directly lying but at least moving my words around so it sounded more believable. The man simply gave a pleasant smile, not showing any signs of suspicion and lowered his guard slightly.

"I see. I hear that tale many times as an answer. I'd be rich if I got gold for every time I did. Looking for a room then, I can only assume."

"Yes, that is all for now. I'm not sure how long but probably a night or two unless I feel fine before then." My shoulders slacked a bit, feeling the unease and tense atmosphere I had before dissipate. Things were feeling normal again and my body certainly felt it.

"I wouldn't recommend going out at night. Weird things happen and it is certainly not safe with the unsavory types that stalk the darkened paths." The man seemed to look me up and down followed by a quick glance at the other patrons. "I have a room free and you certainly look like you seen better days. How about you get one night for free, especially since it is so close, but come morning you must decide what you are doing. How does that sound?" I was stunned at the innkeeper proposed, not sure why he was offering me such a generous arrangement.

"Why would you do that? That wouldn't be that great for business." I was not one to take anything that was called free and I was honestly trying to dissuade him from going through with the proposal. I would feel a bit guilty about taking something that good, no matter my situation. The man simply made his way around the bar counter without answering me, taking quite a while since the worn counter was quite large, and produced a keyring.

"Come on, I'll show you to your room. Sader, watch things for a moment!" The innkeeper was speaking to another Redguard who was already behind the counter, apparently a helper, and led me past the many tables and the rather colorful group scattered across the length of the bar. The Innkeeper led me to a hall through a door on the emptier side of the bar. It didn't lead to any other floors or any adjacent halls, instead just small rooms along the length. It started to occur to me that this inn wasn't all that well-kept, not by blame of the owner, though.

"Are things going okay here? Seems sort of rundown…" I spoke while analyzing the state when the Innkeeper stopped in front of a door to one of the Inn's unoccupied rooms. I couldn't hear any noise from the other doors we passed, which meant anyone who was staying was keeping themselves in the bar and not risking a room.

"I'm sorry for the state of the place but I think you would have noticed already. We aren't doing that extremely well with gold…that doesn't mean we are going down easily! Tell me tomorrow about your choice and we will decide what will happen." The man left, not leaving me any room to talk anymore about everything else I still had to get off my chest. He was back out with the other patrons before I could even put my hand up to stop him.

The room I was given looked to be nothing more than a shack or a cupboard in the wall. It was not something that was made for a reason, only put in because there was free area. This Inn wasn't meant to have the customer stay overnight, just to drink and stumble out to try and make it home if they could. There was a very simple bed with absolutely nothing else for decoration or otherwise. It felt a little empty especially compared to what I normally was housed in. Then again, it was either a dingy Inn room or a damp prison room. I couldn't complain for now.

"So, I'm in a place I know, kind of. It could be worse but I am certainly not comfortable still." I set my equipment at the end of the bed, inspecting it one at a time. The sword was surprisingly well-kept, the worst damage being the edge chipped at places and blunt at others. I couldn't tell if that meant it was underused and the owner got killed early or placed in front of my cell on purpose. It did seem much too convenient for the former but I could not imagine who could have placed it when thinking about the latter. Ria still had some special powers indeed but something tells me she couldn't bring any object from one place and physically place it in another. There seems to be someone or something else that was involved in this quest but there was no telling if it was friend or foe yet.

On the other hand, the shield was the exact opposite in condition to the broadsword. It looked to have been stolen by the goblin that wielded it long ago and used quite a bit. It covered most of the body of the goblin but to any normal sized being, it covered about half of the arm to most races and its round shape made for fine protection against basic attacks. It had a ring of iron around the edge and a cross pattern of iron to help bolster its durability. The rest was a hard wood but it showed lots of wear, having chips and gashes. It was entirely different from even the quality of the broadsword and wouldn't last for much longer without repair or just replacement.

The realization of what I had and the quality of it really made the harshness of my situation obvious. I would very much have to work on getting some new equipment or more equipment before I did anything else. My first 'quest' would have to be to go to the blacksmith and see if I could get myself fitted. I know there were none of them on short supply, blacksmithing being a very profitable business at this time. After that, I would have to see what I could fine from fallen adventurers that failed their own personal quests in the largely unexplored caves and ruins.

"Well…I never was someone who waited for things to happen. Either I start now or I will get nowhere." I put my inspected equipment on the end of the bed again but had no intention of resting yet. When I had arrived in Belkarth Guard, it was only midday and even when I came into the Inn, the sun was barely setting. The Innkeeper surely only warned me about the night because of my clear nervousness as well as a warning beforehand. I still had time to see if I could learn anything about what was going on, where I had to go or even rumors about where items could be found. There was no way I was going to waste what time I had at my disposal.

The Inn itself still had a dozen patrons or so, not much emptied despite it becoming closer to night. Either they lived close or they were used to whatever came out during that time. I had no intention of finding out what happened around here with what little I had to work with. My assumption was either some sort of beast or it was nothing but thieves running around. Not that the lot drinking their lives away looked any different from the stuff I would probably find skulking around any Inn with alcohol.

The 'brave' patrons that were still occupying the Inn were all sorts and very clearly different personalities. It was even more surprising to see more races than just the native Redguards. There were a couple Nords and maybe even Bretons but I was going by only skin color. Not all of them were drinking, as well. I couldn't begin to think about what people would want here if they weren't here to spend their night trying to forget about something. I guess some could have been looking for work, something that I would not have ever dreamed I would be doing again but I was not expecting to be almost killed by a traitor as well.

I took the closest table to the rooms and inspected the people that were still around. They came from all over with most being either native Redguards, some Nords, and even some Bretons. I don't know why Nords and Bretons would be drinking merrily with the natives but they must have been cast out or had their own personal reasons to be acting so friendly. The other tenants looked to be nothing but mercenaries looking for anything in the way of quick gold. No matter what, I certainly did not get a good feeling when I walked in, no doubt the leering eyes giving me the sense one gets when they are not welcomed.

After I looked around at the other drinkers, my eyes ended on looking at the Innkeeper and his assistant, Sader. I didn't get the name of the Innkeeper himself but that was very much not important. The thing that worried me was he was constantly glancing at me and not covering it up in the slightest. I could only assume that Sader was doing the same. It could have been because I was new or because I seemed suspicious, both of which were very good reasons to be apprehensive of anyone.

The two exchanged glances and words but I couldn't hear them without the ears of an elf. When the two were finished, the Innkeeper was carrying a bottle and a set of cups. I wasn't sure what the alcohol was or if it was safe but seeing as I didn't have much of anything, I quickly decided to throw caution to the wind. The most anyone could get from me was my clothing or my used equipment, neither of which would go for very much to anyone except the most desperate of people.

"So, feeling any better?" The Innkeeper wasted no time in getting straight to the point. He was trying to get my defenses down, using his guile to get me to speak no doubt. Being stubborn and bull-headed were necessary to a profession as an Inn owner and this man I could already tell wasn't missing any of that.

"A lot better already, yes. I am warm and calm, better than I was earlier." The Innkeeper pushed a cup towards me, opening the bottle and filling up to more than most people would get for no cost. This 'free' treatment was no doubt more tactics to get me to talk more.

"You don't say. You looked like you were stranded in a cave when I first saw you. What happened to make you look like that?" The Innkeeper filled himself up as well and leaned back, waiting to see how gullible I was no doubt.

"I was indeed stuck somewhere but I can't say where exactly. I don't know the names of everywhere, after all." It wasn't a complete lie, seeing as I only really knew capital cities and a good portion of my own native towns but not small caves and such. I wasn't a scout and they didn't answer to me before, I spoke only of places that were within my knowledge.

"That is true. I couldn't tell you the closest hole monsters dwell outside the city walls myself as well. I forgot your name, memory isn't what it used to be. Care to tell me again?" The Innkeeper was on his second cup, filling up as if he was drinking away his own problems as well. I was taking small sips of my own drink, being careful as to not lose my wits or give out any sensitive information.

"Tenyin." I answered with only a first name, not sure if I would get recognized that way yet. I wasn't exactly sure how Jagar Tharn spread the news when he slaughtered who knows how many and took the guise of Emperor Septim.

"You don't say? Wow, you got the same name as the person who is in the Imperial City that represents us. That must be confusing but prideful. I do hope you can live up to the standards that are expected with a name like that." The Innkeeper was swallowing swigs of alcohol like it was water, more than used to trying this approach to get more information.

"I know, I've been trying but with…things, it is hard. Do you mind if we change the topic? I don't want to talk about this much." I was too stubborn for this man to win over and he seen it when he finally put the bottle and his cup down, clearing his hands since he sat down. His face didn't sour instantly but did not seem too enthused for me to have something to speak of.

"Of course, of course. I don't want you to get a bad impression of me right away. So, what do you have on your mind?" The man straightened his back, making himself look as professional as possible.

"Nothing too big. I was wondering if there was anything that might have to be done or any caves that might be unexplored." It didn't feel right to talk like a mercenary. I knew that if most other people I was around daily had been in the same position, they would have not been able to ask to brazenly. That was if they even got through the dungeons alive.

"Right, right. I should have known. Unfortunately, I don't know of any way to make your fortune close by but there are certainly people that need assistance every now and then. This is an Inn, after all. Anything else you need to know?" Either this man was lying or more things changed than I thought since I was younger. Either way, I wasn't going to get anywhere by lazing around here too long. I had to pack up by morning and figure out my next move. It was going to be hard to start with nothing but I have done it before and I know I had the skills to do it again.

"Nothing. Thanks for the drink but you don't expect me to pay for it without enough gold on me, right?" The Innkeeper sighed in clear defeat, shaking his head. He grunted to his feet, the bottle and his own cup in his hands.

"No, I guess I can't and I highly doubt you have anything that would interest me enough to trade or you wouldn't look to ragged. Finish what you have and I will leave you alone." The Innkeeper did indeed that, leaving me alone and back to his post by the bar table itself and his assistant.


	3. Chapter 3

I simply stewed over things, not anything in particular but trying to put plans together to what I could do. A quest this size wouldn't be finished in a day or even a week. I couldn't even begin to imagine how long something like this would take. Before this act of treachery, there were ambassadors or escorts that were gone for months, even years, before returning with something. It depended on the conditions and the distance but the farther away one went from their home or just safest place, the worse for wear they came back when the mission was finally complete.

Sometime during my thoughts, someone took a seat beside me without asking. I didn't notice until the Redguard tapped my shoulder and brought me back to reality. I was apparently staring at my emptied cup.

"Still here? That's odd but very good for me. Might I trouble you for a moment?" I turned to look at the man to see that only himself, an older man leaning on the counter, and myself left in the way of patrons. In fact, not even Sader was here anymore. Only the Innkeeper was left to watch his only real patrons, thankfully none of us three were drunk or the immature sort. The man in front of me looked not as old as me, far off in fact and surprisingly more unkempt than even me despite what I had been through. His skin showed a lineage that looked to stretch as far as before the Redguards settled in Hammerfell. His voice itself gave away too much for him to be able to fool even the most naïve of the races.

"I…guess?" I wasn't sure what to say but his insistence and his lack of concern for personal space got me suspicious and uncomfortable. I subconsciously scooted away but he was not letting me leave easily.

"Oh, where are my manners? I am Baaj. See that man by the counter? He is my father, Lej. He needs to get to The Mages Guild by the morning at the latest, though the earlier the better. I hired a couple of mercenaries to escort him there but they were apparently dead not too long ago. Someone in the Afterdark Society, no doubt but he managed to get away and came back to me. If he gets there by the morning, what they would have gotten is yours." The young man, Beej, spoke fast and he certainly wasn't one for wasting time for pleasantries.

"What is the Afterdark Society and how much would I get?" First off, I was entirely uncertain about what this organization was. We certainly didn't have it in the Imperial City, which meant it was either new or very much something that wanted to keep itself very secret. Second, I wasn't expecting a lot along the lines of pay but it would help me start off with many of my plans.

"I will make this quick. The Afterdark Society is a group of people and monsters that somehow work together to attack people when the sun goes down and even sometimes before. That is why no one wants to be in the open during then. For the pay, I can't remember exactly but it was between 30 and 40 gold. The Mages Guild isn't far but I have other plans and I cannot afford to lose time." It was true that this mysterious Beej had his own agenda and was looking for nothing more than simple protection. Judging from his story, either the original hired guards had a run of bad luck or there is more to these two men than meets the eye. I assume the former is more true than the latter.

"Do you know how far away the Guild Hall is?" I wasn't going to ask specific questions seeing as this could be easy gold.

"It's close but I can't recall exactly where. Others will know. You still have time until the sun falls and be back in time, I know it. I doubt you will have any trouble with only the two of you walking around." Beej had a point. In fact, if this group was going for well-armed people, it would be much better for me to go unarmed and the two of us would not stand out.

"Fine. I will do it but are you certain I will get paid?" The second after I said okay, Beej was on his feet and getting himself ready to go again. He stopped at my question and his fingers tapped my table.

"Here, take this and you can keep whatever else they give you." Beej reached into a pocket in his leather coat and handed to me ten gold. I took it, of course, but Beej didn't give me time to get another word in before speaking briefly to his father at the wooden counter talking to the Innkeeper about something. In a very brief moment, Beej was gone from the Inn and the older man, Lej, was staring at me, waiting to leave. I certainly wasn't going to waste time with something to simple, that was for sure.

"Before we go, why couldn't your son finish taking you to where you needed to go?" I was curious and I still couldn't trust either one of these Redguards just by looks alone. Still, Lej smiled and answered without any hesitation.

"He has an assignment elsewhere and neither of us know the layout of this town. Simply speaking, we don't have the time to stay together and waste that sort of time." It was a clear answer, which I expected from the son but it felt much sincerer coming from one that was closer to my age and in some ways, closer to someone like myself.

"Fine." I looked one last time at my cup before getting to my feet. Lej respectfully gave me the room and the time I needed to get myself situated. This was much different than Beej and I couldn't help but feel in my gut this was a setup or at least a false sense of security, both of which I had felt and voiced sooner in a different situation. Still, as a noble knight, I had to help wherever and however I could to the best of my ability.

It was still partially daylight when Lej and I left the comfort of the Inn into the frosty night. There were far less people than when I came through that portal. Whatever this Afterdark Society was and what threat it posed was more than real by the looks of things. It was apparently something I would have to remember about seeing as I didn't know if I was going to return to the safety of the Imperial City anything soon, if that place was even considered safe now with Tharn in place of the Emperor. Of course, if the Society did attack while Lej and I were finding our way to the Mages Guild, we would be defenseless and be dead within moments. This was a gamble I was taking for little coin, something I had never thought I would have done before this all happened.

"So, got any idea where we will start?" The cold bit through my weak clothes as expected but it was not like when I was first in the cell. In fact, it felt like only a light chill with the help of the Inn's warm feeling and the alcohol that was given to me beforehand.

"I don't know exactly. You see, we are not originally from around here. I'll say we are…pilgrim's, basically." This was a little unexpected but not entirely. I knew these two weren't exactly natives to this region, seeing as they would not need help if they were. Also, the two had some sort of alternate plans, especially Beej. He was too eager to leave without a care for his father's safety despite his 'mercenary' story. A story that seemed true but Lej really was that defenseless, why did he get away without as much as a visible scratch?

"I see…I guess we will ask around. I hope it is not too far, seeing as the night is fast approaching." Beej responded with only a nod and I started my search for the building. There were not as many people roaming but a few were still making their way to somewhere, taking their time with the look of their speed. Thankfully, luck was apparently on my side and it seemed that way ever since I escaped death itself at the hands of a traitor when I decided on a person to ask.

"Would you happen to know where the Mage's Guild houses themselves here?" The man didn't need even a second and pointed to the bigger building that was to my immediate left.

"You would be looking there, then. Don't know how you didn't notice right off." I glanced to see a highly-decorated building that looked to be rather large, easily overshadowing the size of the Inn and most other buildings by far. The Mage's Guild grew in power since I was stationed in the Imperial City, though the one there was still bigger than this and was a central part of the city.

"Thank you." The man waved us off and left, his pace not quickening but he still didn't want to waste time with small talk. My eyes narrowed to Lej staying quiet behind me but that was far from comforting. I was used to having others around me but I certainly wasn't used to any of those ones being unknown. My guard hasn't been lowered yet and it won't change until I know I can do something without relying on someone else.

The Mage's Guild was certainly something I will not miss in any other place. I would just need an area and I could find it after that. It was my assumption any other Guild Hall of theirs would be just as a clear distinction of their influence and personalities. The Hall itself was not like the surrounding buildings, especially with the care that apparently came with owning a renowned place. The building material was not the same color of the others but it might have been the same material itself. Along with the stone, the decorations outside were unusual especially for the environment with plants outside that looked to be in their natural place despite the cold. It was surely not what anyone new to Hammerfell expected before knowing magic might have been involved without recognizing the building or the wooden hanging sign carved with an eye on both sides.

Lej and I entered the Guild's main hall and the first thing that jumped out were the walls style. It gave off a very refined look with smooth stone on the face, carved runes making a ribbon on the lower edge, and a clean wood frame. Some walls had things decorating the walls: Books, maps, and relics that seemed to give off a blue magic aura themselves. It was not surprised that it was also dead quiet except for the quiet movement of the couple of mages residing or potions being brewed in another section of the room. Braziers also lit a large portion of the room, leaving only corners or enclosed spaces in the dark.

"We seem to be here. How far in am I taking you in?" Lej didn't seem to let anything get to him, keeping some sort of smile on his face. For being a father, he had a solid body as well but I didn't know his exact age as well.

"I don't give you your payment, so you have to meet the mage who is to give you that. I'm glad we got here safely but you need me with you until the money gets into your hands." Lej laxed his stance a little, letting his defenses down a little bit at least. At least we got here without any problems but it did seem a little too easy and a little too close.

"Right, okay. Hopefully finding this person won't take too long." I walked forward, easily keeping my footsteps near silent on the marble flooring. There was only one mage in the building, his back to me as I walked closer to him. Before I made it to the man, his body twitched to my movement and he turned to face me. His blue robe and hat gave his choice of disciplined path and his white beard gave a closer indication to his age. He has clearly been doing magic for most of his life.

"Hello, you two. What business do you have here?" The man stood straight but was not naturally a harsh person by the calmness of his voice. No doubt the mage training helped lead to his personality.

"I am Tenyin and the man with me is Lej. I was hired to bring him to this hall." I felt a little calmer than I was outside, the heat of the building finally letting my body get less stiff.

"Lej? Lej…ah! Yes, I was expecting you to arrive soon. Might I talk to you alone for a moment, then?" The mage spoke to Lej, who nodded wordlessly and moved from behind me to the mage, both of them starting to walk away to another section of the room.

"Wait, what about my gold?" I didn't have a mercenary way of thinking but I was always stringent with my money, ever since I was young but I wasn't extremely aggressive when it came to getting it. I just made sure everybody who owed me money was told so and I kept their debt and face matched up for later.

"You will get it, I promise. Let us talk and then you will get what is owed to you." The mage replied while walking away. When the two were a fair distance away, I turned my attention to the rest of the building. The atmosphere was worlds away from the Inn but it was to be expected. The unsavory types the Inn attracted and its uses were far different than the cultured and self-sufficient mages the Guild held. The bookcases were a dead giveaway, holding enough books that any individual with enough time could learn from about all different eras of history.

The Guild Wizard was apparently in his own world when we came in, a potion being brewed on a stone mass that served as the Guild's table. It seemed like quite a complicated potion as well, having many varied ingredients and extremely different amounts. It was impressive how much different combinations could be made, especially with every province having entirely unique flora and fauna. The potion certainly stood out, not having one uniform color, as well. It was alternating between shades and amounts. This wizard has certainly earned his place, if not a couple of other things that made him stand out.

"Do you know what I am doing or know what the potion may be?" I stood up straight at the sudden voice breaking me out of my trance. The wizard and Lej had finished their discussion which seemed to end on a good note seeing as both men smiled behind me when I turned.

"I don't know much about magic or potions but I have a feeling a resistance potion, seeing as it is not one color. I have used a few in my days, that's for sure." The wizard nodded and Lej walked away towards one of the many bookshelves, still as silent as ever.

"That is correct. It is an experimental potion for now. I am seeing if I can make a potent resistance potion with some local fauna but I don't exactly know how this batch will turn out." The wizard walked around the table to a silver jewelry box with ornate gems that didn't seem to have any way of opening it. Nonetheless, the wizard held a hand over it and the lid came off effortlessly. The wizard pulled a leather money bag from his robe as well and filled it with what could only be considered gold from the box until he reapplied the lid. It was to be expected an enchantment only certain individuals or perhaps only this specific wizard could open. It was ingenious what a few runes could accomplish in the right hands. The bag was handed to me whenever the process was complete.

"How much is in here? I know this wasn't a hard job but I had a feeling before we left about something off…" The wizard shrugged but I took the bag anyhow. I knew anyone that led a Guild Hall, especially the well-renowned ones, was honorable but also had their own secrets they could divulge to any passing person.

"At least 40 gold but I do not know entirely how much. It will probably end up being a little more. We have enough gold to spare, so there are no worries for us. If I might pry, where is your destination? I discussed a little with Beej about who you are but he didn't know much else but the basics." The wizard walked back to his experimental potion, not turning his attention entirely away from me but at least making sure it apparently was coming along fine. I knew these sorts of questions were going to come up, especially when talking to any regulars and how outlandish my story was. The only thing that worried me was I didn't tell Lej or his son, Beej, anything about my story. This father and son duo still worried me a lot, definitely keeping too much away from me than I liked but to be fair, I was doing the same from everyone else and this man would be no different.

"I don't exactly know where but I will probably get what I need in time. Not everything comes quickly, I've learned that over the years." My true nature started showing itself but that was a good thing. I wasn't a mercenary but an honorable knight that only did work like this when necessary. This was one of those times for sure.

"I like the way you think, Tenyin. You could be a good mage but if that isn't your interest, I do see you getting very far in life." The wizard tipped his hat towards me and I instinctively bowed in response. He was smiling most likely to the respect I showed.

"Well, I had better get back. It is almost dark and I see this paying for a night or two at the Inn." I turned away but was stopped by a hand on my shoulder. The wizard wanted my attention again and I gave him it yet again.

"I think I will assist you with that. Wait a moment and I will give you something that will pay for a few days." I assumed the wizard would reach for the box with the gold inside but instead pulled a simple potion from one of the lined walls and handed it to me. It didn't look that impressive, holding a solid blue liquid inside a square glass bottle that I could wrap my hand around without it slipping.

"What is this?" I spun the potion around in my hand but I couldn't tell just from the look what it could be. The liquid was bright enough that it could be a replenishing liquid for mages and their skills.

"Just a rare enough potion that the Innkeeper will take and not give you any trouble about staying. He may even give you more benefits if he can find it profitable enough." The wizard glanced to Lej, who was done with whatever his interest lied and patiently waited for my exchange with the wizard to finish.

"I see...thank you for the help but it was unexpected." The wizard motioned to Lej.

"Yes, it was a request by the man you brought here. He asked for me to help you and I feel that would not be hard to help a bit. You had better get back before the night comes, though." The thought just dawned on me that I purposely wanted to get back before the night came. I had no intention of finding out about who the Afterdark Society was, after all.

"Right. Have a good night, wizard. You as well, Lej." Lej waved and I left the comfort of the Guild Hall but the cold chill wasn't a bad as I was expecting.

The sun had nearly set and I walked, my pace quickened to beat the moon rising. Perhaps I wasn't as nervous and cautious but before I had finished my thought entirely, the door to the Crimson Chasm closed behind me and I was warming up yet again. I didn't feel the cold on me this time, though. The Innkeeper waved to me and I walked to him, shaking his hand when I was within reach.

"Welcome back! I was getting worried you wouldn't have made it back in time." The man was friendly, clearly getting ready for turning in himself as he was lazing about even now.

"It was close, that's true. I was worried myself." I stifled a yawn as much as I could, not being able to help myself from showing I was done for the day.

"I can imagine. Then whenever you're ready, you can go to your room and I will have the front door locked." The Innkeeper moved past me, locking the front and putting a board to hold it as well. It was to be expected picking a lock was easy enough for anyone out late at night, so having just a basic lock was only inviting a thief inside. The Innkeeper walked past me and into the hall where my room was. As expected, he stayed inside the Inn himself but in a room that was well taken care of for sure.

I didn't take more than a minute inside the Inn's main space, going to my room and emptying my pockets. The potion and the bag of gold was all I had but I wasn't going to leave those in the open. It was a relief to see my weapon and shield was still where I had left them, meaning my stuff was safe enough until I could figure out my next move in the morning. If things went as the wizard said, the potion would keep me safe and possibly in a better room but that wasn't a guarantee. I locked my own door and laid down on the bed, listening to the noises coming from outside. There was movement for sure, definitely the Afterdark Society but no other commotions. The low footsteps through the snow and my own relief was more than enough to get me to drift to sleep yet again. This time, though, it was thankfully in a much more comfortable place than a dungeon under the Imperial City. There was no telling if I was going to get more contact with Ria as well. Only the morning would answer my questions.


	4. Chapter 4

I've always been an early riser, my 'previous' profession requiring a start to the day before the sun rose too far over the horizon. Although there were no windows or any sort of opening in my room whatsoever, I could tell without a doubt that it was far too early for most others to be moving around. I couldn't hear movement outside my door, meaning not even the Innkeeper caring too much to open his doors quite yet. More importantly, though, there were no noises coming from outside like with what I went to sleep with as my background noise. The Afterdark Society did their deed for the night but all I cared about was that I was not harmed. I didn't find anyone else I could protect yet except for Ria but she didn't need protecting, as she was only a spirit that attached herself to me to get Tharn off the throne.

It was certainly an uncomfortable night, the bed being only slightly more comfortable than the stone alcoves in the dungeons. The only advantage the Inn had was that there was a cover to keep warm. I wasn't sure how much I moved while sleeping though since when I was up, the cover was not entirely over me like when I had fallen asleep.

I sat on the edge of the bed with the light illuminating what area of the room a candle could brighten. I wasn't sure what my next move would be especially since I wasn't one to plan forward without knowing exactly what would happen. That would never happen on this quest, no matter what is said or given to me. All I could do was plan the day the best I could and hope nothing too bad happened.

The bar had no patrons but both the Innkeeper and his assistant Sader were at attention to my surprise. Either they were especially quiet or I was very deep in thought but that was common no matter the time or place. The Innkeeper waved me when I came into the main room and Sader gave a simple nod. That Redguard was plainly not around the Inn for conversation but was meant to be the muscle in case things got out of hand.

"Good Morning! Even with regulars, you are up much earlier than anyone else. I hope you slept at least a little well, your face not really giving me much hope." The Innkeeper was writing in a book, probably a ledger of some sort when he beckoned me over. I put a hand on my pants pocket, holding what was in it in place while I walked over to him. The purpose of the conversation was not an entirely pleasant subject, that was for sure.

"It wasn't bad. I wasn't expecting exquisite linen sheets or gold chandeliers, that's for sure. This isn't an Imperial City Inn, after all." I didn't want to sound condescending but the way the speech came out, it probably sounded that way. I couldn't see the Innkeeper's face but his writing slowed down for a moment.

"You know what the high-end Inn's look like but those are extremely expensive and I couldn't imagine running something that flashy." The Innkeeper closed his book and turned to face me. He didn't have a smile anymore but he also didn't have a frown either.

"This is about my payment, isn't it? I didn't forget, if that is what this is about." I wasn't going to wait for him to bring it up, instead starting off with my own question before he was about to speak.

"I'm sorry to say that this is about that exact thing. Do you have anything? I'll see what I can do with anything you can give me." I reached into my pocket and the Innkeeper's eyes bolted straight to my hand. He could keep his cool when it came to speaking but his financial greed betrayed him instantly. He was knowing I was going to pull out coin or some sort of extremely valuable item. If the mage was telling the truth, what he gave me was valuable enough to someone like the Innkeeper. I presented the bottled blue liquid to the man, who didn't seem entirely pleased.

"I don't mean to be disrespectful or sound ungrateful but…is that it?" The Innkeeper took the bottle from me, inspecting it on his own but his face grew less and less interested. His last inspection of it came when he uncorked the bottle and took a whiff of the liquid's odor. His eyes grew wide and he immediately sealed the bottle again and got a big smile.

"What is that? I didn't get an answer from the original owner, either." The Innkeeper beckoned Sader to his side and handed the bottle over. There wasn't a need for the two to exchange words but Sader hustled outside the Inn's doors with the potion securely held in his palm.

"It is something that will guarantee a healthy profit from this gamble I made with keeping you here overnight. I must say, I wasn't expecting something like this from that old wizard but whoever you left with yesterday must have been a special person indeed." It was apparent I wasn't getting an answer from the Innkeeper either about what exactly was no doubt being traded as we spoke.

"I see. If that is the case, what is the new deal between us?" I was only slightly interested in what the liquid was but after a day, the thought would be lost anyway. The potion was gone and the deal it would make know would be much more important.

"Hm…that is a good question. I doubt I must worry about your expenses while you are here for a little while, so how about I give you another five days. When you are ready to leave after that, I will give you a small sum of coin to help you on your way. Sound like a deal?" The Innkeeper spoke quickly but the conditions were far better than I thought would come up. I didn't expect more than a day or two. This potion really must have had a large value to itself after all.

"I have a request, though. Can I be in a room that doesn't have just a bed and maybe more than one candle. I do need to plan if I am to leave at any time." This would be stretching the consideration of the Innkeeper but his smile didn't falter.

"Of course, of course. I'll give you one of the better rooms, no doubt. I didn't think I needed to say that is all. Do you want to move now?" I didn't take a second to think about the answer, already knowing that if he didn't mention it, I would have.

"That would be great."

The Innkeeper and I made the switch of rooms and I moved into a much more comfortable and larger space. The new room was located in the middle of the available rooms but was one that had much better upkeep over the years. It still had the problem of flaking walls but it was minimal compared to other places. It also included a larger bed but more importantly, a convenient table that was perfect for my situation. The Innkeeper didn't seem bothered to be giving me a room for no payment that was no doubt one of the better selections.

"Are you sure about this? This isn't asking for too much?" I was worried that this was some ploy made up on the spot by the Innkeeper but he didn't seem like the person to do that when given something that was on his mind still.

"Don't bother yourself with the details. In fact, this is not the nicest room we have but it certainly is one almost exclusively is saved for only the most special of patrons." The Inn's doors opened and Sader came in with a quite large sum of coin in a leather sack as well as a scroll. Sader passed the sack to the Innkeeper who eagerly looked inside and passed the scroll to me. He didn't stay long enough for me to ask about the details. The Innkeeper as well left, holding the leather sack closed tightly and leaving me to stand in the doorway of my new room facing the hall.

The scroll was blank on both sides and was no bigger than a traditional magic imbued scroll. The boarder of the scroll was recently fixed with only small tears that could be seen but didn't pose any problems with causing problems or more damage. The problem was that it didn't have anything on it but that couldn't be true. With magic as evolved as much as it was, something had to trigger it to activate. The problem was that I had no such clues to start from.

"Why in oblivion would I need a blank scroll. It had to be delivered to me for a reason, wouldn't it?" I was alone in the room but speaking aloud to myself helped clear my head and think clearer. I would apparently need all the knowledge I possessed for whatever this thing was. The burned edges served to give no clues to what role this scroll served or how I could figure out what it meant.

"This means nothing to me right now, then." Without the coin to get the item appraised, my only alternative was to continue with my plan to get started on my major quest. I knew if I was to go anywhere dangerous, it would take genuine equipment and not things I had found on the ground in a dungeon only fit for the creatures of the night. Also, the fact that my room was being covered by the mysterious potion for five days meant I had a head start on getting myself situated immediately.

The sun outside reflected on the freshly laid snow, my first glimpses of the busy outside only being a blinding white screen. The day had officially started a couple of hours earlier but I knew what I had to get done. First and foremost, my equipment had to be replaced with better things that could take some damage without starting to break. My inspection of the sad excuses for what I used made my situation clear and I was lucky to get out of the dungeon with my life. My target was the local Equipment Shop.

I questioned citizens about the closest shop and eventually ended up at the entrance to a building that was a short distance away from where I was staying. Apparently, my luck wasn't all bad since the most important places were around the Crimson Chasm. Said luck wouldn't last forever but all I needed was a way to get a foothold somewhere that I could use as support. An oval sign with diagonally crossed weaponry was the only sign I needed to verify I was in the right location.

The shop looked to be ages old, weathered wood used to support the frame on the outside and sturdy brickwork made up the walls. It was not something that was updated with the times, not necessarily needing to look new. The reputation of any Equipment Store was enough to keep the owner happy. This owner certainly had a large enough store to show how much he was earning, having a single floor roof in places but a two-floor roof near the center rear. That was most likely where the forge was at and the craftsman worked. There was not a lack of shutters as well, no doubt to keep the smoke from filling up the store but were shaped to keep the snow from entering easily.

The inside of the shop was unsurprisingly warm, even warmer than the Inn. The little bit of snow that was laying on me from the outside was melted in seconds with just standing in the entrance. The inside of the shop started with a short walk forward, large braziers lighting the way and weapons and armor mounted on their respective stands on display lining the wall. The large central room had a lot of supplies scattered in the corners and unnecessary sections of the shop. Display cases and ornate wooden tables were front and center, housing potions or scrolls or a multitude of other adventuring items. Wood and glass display cases, clearly locked and made with only the strongest of material, had their own alcoves along the side of the shop as well, no doubt holding the rarest or most sought after items. They looked normal to someone who was just browsing but if one looked close enough, a tinge of colors could be seen that eluded to the fact they were indeed imbued with magic. That sort of merchandise was out of the scope of any craftsman, no matter their innate skill. Enchanting weapons or items took masters of the magical arts and they were worth well beyond what they were sold for, if used correctly. The craftsman himself was working near the back of the shop, as expected, taking his spot between his anvil and forge, working but looking to be enjoying it nonetheless.

"Hello, sir. May I distract you from your work for a moment?" I walked casually towards the working man, the years of his passion on display. This man worked without a shirt, no doubt because of the heat but he was not shy of anyone seeing him. A native Redguard worked this forge as well, not a surprise seeing as this wasn't a town on the border of Hammerfell. That was where most foreigners would keep themselves unless they had good reason to venture more inwards. The man stopped his work and looked over to me, surprised. He was clearly deep into doing his own work too much to notice someone simply walking in right now.

"Of course, of course! Give me one moment!" The man finished the work he was doing and put his tools on the now empty anvil, turning his attention to me. "What is it you need?"

"I just wanted to know if I could use your forge? I know it is a bold request but I don't have nearly enough gold to pay for your services but I figured using your forge wouldn't be too much trouble?" The man stood much taller than me, his size no doubt intimidating for anyone who wanted to do something he disapproved of. Of course, the very muscular frame helped as well.

"That is a big request. I'm not sure if that is a good idea…I will make you a deal, then. You may use my forge but ONLY if you can give me your word that if anything happens to whatever you are repairing, it is not any fault of mine." It was to be expected that if anyone were to be able to use anything that wasn't their property, it would mean agreeing to a very one-sided compromise. This man must have dealt with people who asked things like this before and had a bad experience with at least one.

"I promise nothing will be expected of you to replace." The man crossed his arms and simply stood. He was probably debating himself on whether he should agree or not. Most people would have denied such an agreement with it not benefitting themselves at all.

"Fine but don't take too long." The man took a couple steps away from the anvil, keeping his eyes on me the whole time. It wasn't going to be long since the only thing I had to try and fix up was the broadsword. Though it wasn't in bad shape, it could do with some improving. The buckler was going to be impossible because it wasn't entirely made of metal and what was metal wasn't even the most important parts.

"I will not." I stepped forward and started my work. Although I wasn't as skilled as any true master craftsman, all trained Knights were required to be able to have basic upkeep of their equipment at all times. That was the one thing our instructors drilled into us after the basic combat training. Though it was clear that the years of not needing to entirely work on my own items had weakened my hammering arm and I didn't work like I did when I was younger. It was passable but not what I personally expected of myself.

After about half an hour, an amount of time that I was very surprised I got seeing as the craftsman still had his own work to do, the broadsword was sharpened and looked a lot more presentable than when I had first gotten it. I ran my fingers along the straight edge of the blade and instinctively moved to sheath the blade but only figured out my mistake when the blade fell from my hand and fell to the floor.

"Damn, that's right." I sighed and picked up the hopefully undamaged weapon but the craftsman put a hand on my shoulder. I had forgotten he was there with how absorbed I got into my own work and caught myself blushing a bit at the embarrassment when I looked at him with a surprised look.

"Do you not have a holster for that?" It was an obvious question but I don't think he was asking for an obvious yes but an explanation on why I was missing it.

"I didn't buy this weapon, I…found it outside the walls." This was not at all a lie and it was doubtful the craftsman would find this unusual.

"An adventurer like the rest of my customers, huh? You seem to be able to work that anvil better than them, though. Do you have training of any sort with it?" The man's hand was still on my shoulder. He was drilling me for information and he probably wouldn't let me go until he was satisfied. It could have been because of suspicion or general curiosity.

"I do have some, yes. It has been years and I am no master but I didn't lose all of my skill." I kept my answers general, not wanting to give away anything that would cause distrust after the blessing I was given lately. The answers seemed to have sufficed as the man released his grip on my shoulder.

"I see…You said you didn't have much gold, right? Where are you staying and how are you staying there?"

"At the Crimson Chasm. I got a run of good luck and I have a few nights of free room."

"I see. Well, how would you like to help me? I could pay you for the help and I wouldn't mind a little bit of company during those times." This was not what I was expecting first and it confused me on why he asked such a thing.

"You just met me and all I did was sharpen a blade. Why would you think I would be able to help you?" Faulty deals weren't something I was too comfortable with since my area of expertise wasn't a negotiator while young or old. It was either fighting on the battlefield while young or keeping my own people safe before this whole ordeal with Tharn.

"It's not a permanent position by any means but I could use someone to fill in for me while I am busy with different work or making this shop stand out. Do you know where you are, by chance?" The man crossed his arms and looked hopeful down at me.

"I have to admit, I am not exactly familiar with all the shops in every province, so not in the slightest." Although this faked amnesia wasn't something I was expecting to have to use all the time, it helped at times. Even then, it wasn't always me lying about what I did or didn't know at those times.

"This is Maker's Tool Shop! One of the best when it comes to both quality and quantity!" The man puffed his chest out while speaking, no doubt loving to announce his own shop and give it as much of an impact as possible.

"I see…I ask again, why would you want someone like me who you don't know helping you in your own shop?" I didn't want the topic to be changed too much if I had the chance for another foothold in getting back to my old life, even if it were something that required hard work. It would probably feel good to do honest hard work for a little.

"Oh, right. You don't seem to be like the other 'brave' adventurers that buy my stuff. I haven't seen more than a couple come back in my lifetime, which happens to be a large portion of my life. I've been running this shop for a very long time. What do you say to my offer?!" It was a hard chance to pass up indeed, impossible in fact. Although this man wasn't a trained diplomat, he clearly spoke true without showing off any sign of doubt or deceit. This man's profession was not a dishonorable one, working with straight numbers and merchandise rather than empty promises and pure profit.

"I'm not denying it in the slightest but I am just a wary person about these sorts of things. I've had my fair share of bad happenings with scenarios similar to this one." The life I had as a representative of Redguards came with its own share of dangers and some did involve deals that might have went badly at some point. The most recent events were a prime example, of course.

"Good, then let's get started!"


	5. Chapter 5

It has been six months since I took my new apprenticeship under the craftsman in the Maker's Tool Shop. To my surprise, the offer that was given to me sounded far too good to be true was true in the end. I was indeed paid in gold for what work I performed directly by the Craftsman himself. The first couple of weeks my thoughts largely consisted of what I could do in case this arrangement didn't work out but in time, that thought was pushed out until it was completely vanished. The Craftsman, who still kept his true name a mystery, continued to keep me all this time. That was where I was now, pounding away at the anvil to repair a customer's armor, with my instructor leaving earlier to fulfill one of his many mysterious errands. I didn't figure out what those were either and I wasn't too honestly curious. The last thing I wanted to do was sabotage my good fortune.

The door to the shop opened and I only glanced over to keep most of my attention on my work. To my surprise, it wasn't the craftsman but instead the customer whose very repair I was finishing up with. The man walked in with a thick cloak around himself, which he had on before as well, that covered up everything about his body shape. The only assumptions that could be made was that he was rather frail, since his face immediately gave away the elvish descent of this man. Not an exiled Dunmer, or Dark Elf, or a noble Altmer, or High Elf, but a mischievous Bosmer, or Wood Elf. Still, it was not the merchants place to ask their paying customer any details about who or what. The craftsman knew too many stories that ended up with an unhappy ending, recommending I only get the necessary details.

"Welcome back! We weren't expecting you so soon. Well, I wasn't expecting you but the owner should be back soon. Your order is almost finished if you want to wait a little longer." The Bosmer glanced to his left and right, making me nervous as I worked.

"Of course, take your time. I just wanted to be sure I got here as early as possible, getting an early start with my adventures later. How busy has your shop been lately?" As much as I wanted to correct the Bosmer on his statement of this being 'my shop', I let it pass since most customers said the same thing.

"Normally, only a couple days are quiet. There are many things close by that help keep the shop full on a daily basis." A couple more hits and the piece was finished. I dropped the hammer and held the chest armor up. It looked almost new without the shine of freshly molded metals but buying anything new like that was rare and expensive. Even bought arms or equipment was normally previously owned by another outside of the largest of cities in any province.

"Well, you had better hope this day is quiet or else your corpse will be discovered too quickly." The statement took too long to process before I felt a knifes edge being pushed against my neck from behind me. Unlike another that may be a virgin to combat situations, I certainly was not and my mind shifted to an aggressive thinking state.

"So, I assume you don't want to pay for this, then? Then you may have it but I can't give you something this large to you if you are behind me." Although being robbed was never too common of a situation with me being equipped while on the road, I had a few encounters with brigands demanding everything. This man clearly had more knowledge than myself in this 'profession' with the knife not leaving my neck but he expertly moved his other hand around my waist, feeling for anything that I could use as an offensive tool.

"Then you will do exactly as I say and if you do not, you will be dead. Set the piece back down on the anvil and step back with me afterwards." I was in no position to disagree and did what I was told. The chestpiece was lowered back on to the anvil and my eyes landed on the blacksmiths hammer as I did so. The closest weapon I had but with the man having my neck as his trump card, I would be choking on my own blood before I was able to get a swing out. I am certainly no pushover but I am also not a rash idiot, sort of like this Bosmer. The man pulled the knife deeper against my throat as we got farther from my closest weapon, my attention split between thinking of a plan and listening to the reckless Bosmer.

"Good. Simply speaking, you will turn towards the back of the shop and walk away. I will be gone before you turn around." It was apparent I was defeated in this situation. The craftsman would have a few good words for me when he came back and I had to give him the truth.

"What do you gain from this?" I wanted to stall but I heard the Bosmer move.

"Not everybody is an honest worker and it's not like anyone would take in my race." The Bosmer spoke as I heard him grab the finished piece. As he did, I sprinted forward to grab anything close to the forge. The closest thing was the metal poker sticking out of the furnace. I immediately grabbed it and turned only to see the Bosmer a few steps away from the door. The man moved faster than I expected but something much more unexpected happened before the thief could make contact with the door handle. The door got opened from the outside, causing the Bosmer to stop and myself as well.

"Someone is in a hurry." The craftsman stood in the frame of the door, leaving little to no room for the thief to leave with the men's relative size to each other.

"Stop him! He's trying to steal the work I did!" The Bosmer looked up at the craftsman, who towered over the thief and had a much wider frame. He was most likely trying to find a way out without being caught but that didn't last long before the craftsman moved on his own. He lifted his food and gave the Bosmer a swift kick not into the thief's body but instead onto the chest piece I had just finished. That was more than enough to throw the much physically weaker man off his feet and far back into the shop again. The Bosmer landed with a hard thud onto his back and the equipment he tried to steal went far out of reach.

"Well, are you going to grab him or let him get back up?" I was stunned by the craftsman's pure strength that I didn't respond right away. It took a few seconds for the words to reach me and for me to react. I put the poker back into the furnace and went to the would-be thief, pulling him up and pinning his hands behind his back. "What are you so surprised about?"

"Just wasn't expecting you back at this time, it is just a big coincidence." The Bosmer was just coming to, head most likely still cloudy from the hard fall for another minute or so. "I'm sorry, I wasn't ready for an ill-minded individual."

"Don't worry about it, it is bound to happen more than once I can only imagine. Throw this waste of space out and then come back. I have something important to talk to you about." The craftsman was surprisingly stern about the request, which meant something big was about to happen.

After the forcible evacuation of the would-be thief, the craftsman was standing with arms crossed away from the forge. It was odd for him to be away from his typical crafting post and despite him being calm, I couldn't say I've seen him anything but.

"So…what is it you want to tell me?" I tried to hold my ground and when faced with typical males, it wasn't hard. The problem was that the craftsman was taller than me and clearly more fit as well. It was clearer than before how easy my life was and how much I missed being a true soldier.

"You've been under me for around half a year at this point. I could not ask for more months of your service without asking a personal question. I know how bold it is of me to ask such a thing with how much I have not told you of myself. So, I propose an exchange of info from each other." The craftsman wasn't well-versed in any trading tactics, so hearing him talking about this subject in such a well-mannered way meant he probably thought long about it. Also, proposing an exchange of info was risky since neither party was obligated to give out any information even if one side made a deal. This tactic was rarely used by anybody except for people who had some sort of history with each other.

"That is a little…forward. I don't know what sort of information you are looking for and I can only give you so much about myself." I spoke the truth. I couldn't tell the craftsman about my quest or about Ria or anything else that private.

"I don't need to know anything too sensitive, just a few basic questions. I have not had someone stay for this long and show promise to your level. We will each ask each other one question at a time and when one of us fails to answer, the exchange will be finished. Does that sound reasonable?" It was a simple question and one with many holes in it but that is why dialogue exchanges are only done between two parties with some sort of professional or personal relationship. It was possible for one party to see past lies if they felt like they were being led on.

"I guess it sounds fine. I assume you agree since you asked and I will start, then. What is your name?" It was a simple question as well and I immediately wanted to go on the offensive. The more I could learn, the easier my quest could be.

"I knew that was going to come up almost right away. My name is nothing, simply put." The craftsman spoke his answer with no hesitation but I didn't understand at all. I didn't say a thing and neither did…the man in front of me. He was apparently just waiting.

"Wait, what in Oblivion did you just say?"

"You do not know my name because I don't know my name either. I probably knew it at some point in my life but I forgot a lot of things out of nowhere. I don't know anything about my background after a certain point is all. Some people think they remember me but I never can be sure, so I ignore their 'information'." It sounded like a cliché too much and I wasn't sure if I would ever believe it entirely. I didn't know enough about this man to assume he was telling the truth, no matter how he acted towards me. Amnesia wasn't uncommon, especially with untrained and angry mages running around with their own crazy spells.

"Hm…don't take this the wrong way, sir, but I can't believe you." The craftsman smiled when I responded. He wasn't angry but I haven't seen him angry either.

"Good. Then let us continue the questions. What can you tell me about your adventure, like your destination or your goal?" Like me, the craftsman jumped straight into the important questions. I could only say the least important details but I wouldn't lie to him with those facts.

"I need to travel around Tamriel to gather certain items. That is all I feel comfortable saying." The craftsman raised an eyebrow and rubbed his chin.

"All around Tamriel? Every province will take a long while. No wonder you haven't left yet." The craftsman looked at the door to the shop and sighed. "So, what is your question to me?"

"Um…" Re-thinking the subject, I didn't have any other questions lined up. My months of work have kept me interested in only this man's origins. "What is the earliest thing you can remember?"

"Great question. I can remember around fifteen years ago. Although I don't know my exact age, I have estimated at about thirty. I remember waking up in a town near WIndhelm in Skyrim. Thankfully, a group of friendly Nords found me rather than marauders or bandits. I was taken and raised in the city and was almost instantly interested in the smithies of the land. I don't remember exactly who I was taken in by or who my original trainer was and I doubt they would remember me. That is because I left without anyone knowing and for some reason came here. I don't know what force had me choose this place as where I ended up but as you can see, this the current state of my life. That is the bulk of it." I was almost entranced by this man's story. He told the story with a proud tone, despite it being short. "So, my only other question. When will you be leaving to go on your quest?" That was a good question. I didn't forget what I was supposed to do but it certainly wasn't on the top of my mind at this point.

"I don't know. I was hoping soon but…" The craftsman shook his head and put a rough hand on my shoulder.

"Then I will give you a going away gift, something that will hopefully help you get to where you need to go." The craftsman stood up and I reflexively did as well, grabbing his arm. It wasn't a hard grip and I felt my feminine side showing at this point. I don't know what it was that brought it out but it might have been someone helping me for once without asking. It was a rare occurrence as both a former soldier as well as a…well, until recent changes, a political figure.

"You don't need to do anything of the sort! I am not going to take anything you give me." I spoke with confidence but the man who I was speaking to held his position without wavering.

"You might not but I will offer it regardless." The craftsman continued walking and I didn't stop him this time. My hand gradually loosened as he took steps away until it fell back to my side. I don't know why he would feel the need to give me anything for working such a short time and I was surely going to continue arguing. Giving away merchandise that could be used for gaining gold was not a smart business decision, no matter who you were or how well the shop was doing, in my opinion.

"Fine." I followed the man to one of the corners piled high with boxes and barrels. He almost did so effortlessly but I remembered what were packed into those section of boxes. It wasn't weapons or jewelry. What were in those crates were armor that was being transported elsewhere for some reason. I didn't know of any wars or large-scale conflicts going on but then again, Jagar Tharn could be doing anything right now. I did hear rumors of small towns around Tamriel losing their economic stability but they were far and few between. I haven't gone out of the city limits of Belkarth Guard since I started assisting in the shop.

"It's a good thing you don't pay a huge amount of attention when you are crafting some pieces. I had these hidden for quite a while." The craftsman was shuffling the heavy armor, apparently looking for something I had previously done but I would have remembered the reason.

"Sir, I don't know which pieces you are speaking of. I don't make it a habit of forgetting what I did or the reason for the item." The craftsman chuckled at my response. He had found what he was looking for, pulling out a large, specially made chest piece I had done not terribly long ago. A couple of weeks for a Redguard soldier. It was clearly a female as the chest was shaped to accommodate the figure.

"What are you going to do with that?" The craftsman carried the armor with one hand and pulled me to the center of the room with his other, a smile on his face. I wasn't about to fight his grip, knowing full well I couldn't get out even with my strongest moves. In a physical fight, I was no match against a man the size of the craftsman.

"You'll see. Hold this." The craftsman held the piece out to me and when I took it, he left to the same containers to search for something else. The plate piece I held should have been sent out last week, which was weird that I held it now. It was asked to be made of a stronger metal than just iron, a very rare request seeing as only the rich or truly determined asked for such a strong material.

"Wait…it was meant for a Redguard soldier outfitted for a female body…Did you make up a person for me to craft this?" I questioned the man who had found what he had looked for this time much quicker. He was walking back with two pauldrons that matched the chest in material. Unlike weaker metals, though, the pauldrons were made to include layered arm protection. It took a lot of skill to make plate and I didn't actually do the entire process on my own. The craftsman had walked me through the process orally while I worked. They came out surprisingly well in my opinion but, as expected, the craftsman gave me a higher compliment.

"No, I didn't do such a thing. I asked you to fashion these for a female Redguard warrior and you did exactly that. I just never specified a name but that isn't unusual. So, warrior, what do you say to trying on your gifts?" I was stunned by the cunning of the craftsman. I didn't bother to ask questions about the pieces I create and that was how he got me. I didn't put it together because I wasn't expecting this situation so soon.

"I…No, I won't accept these! You need to sell these and get more coin!" I pushed the plate chest I was holding back at the craftsman, whose smile disappeared as he sighed.

"Fine, I will respect your decision." The craftsman did exactly that, taking the piece I was holding still and walking back to deposit what he had brought out. I did feel guilty not accepting the items but I knew they would be wasted if he were to just give them to me. "Why don't you go take the rest of the day off? I know you will say no but I'm not as much requesting it as telling you your services aren't required for the rest of the day. You need to enjoy yourself." This wasn't surprising to hear since the craftsman would occasionally let me leave for the day even though I didn't want to most of the time. I had to admit, though, having some time to myself was a very welcomed respite.

"That I can agree to. I will see you tomorrow, then." The craftsman nodded and I left the shop, the sign hanging on its iron bar beside the door lightly swinging. It was still early but I didn't feel like doing anything, rather doing something I rarely considered.

The Crimson Chasm was far from empty when I entered from the chilly outside into the familiar warmth inside. It wasn't packed but with the income that came from myself as well as whatever was in that potion bottle, the building got upgraded and it seemed to attract the much-needed attention. I was barely noticed when I came in but that was something I enjoyed. I didn't want unwanted attention, even after this long of being more than just a drinker of the Inn. I took a seat at an almost empty table, keeping myself as far away from people as possible without standing out. I sighed and closed my eyes, holding my head in my hands.

"Your item came back from the Guild. Are things going bad for you?" My eyes slowly fluttered open and I twisted my head a little to the side to see who was behind me, although the voice gave it away. Sader was looking down at me, his always intimidating eyes locked on me.

"I'm fine, just a little stressed. Thank you for carrying out my request." I spun around in my stool to return Sader's stare. He wasn't too intimidating when you get used to his look but along with his muscular bulky body, he was more than intimidating enough. It was a pretty rare trait for Redguards to not have a large amount of muscle despite whatever body size they were born into.

"Of course. They didn't tell me anything specifically about what they did but I do know that they found something. It's written here. Do you want a drink before you pack it in for the night?" Sader handed the scroll and the folded note over to me but I didn't immediately read it. I wasn't going to let the other patrons see what I had and I wanted to be prepared as well.

"That would be glorious. Give me a whole bottle of your most flavorful stuff. I don't want to get too drunk." Sader nodded and left to get what I asked for. I turned back to put the scroll on the table. It didn't look any different from before, the edges being fringed and looking like an older piece of parchment with no obvious difference at the first glance. The folded note was written on the typical decorated paper of the Mage's Guild that no doubt had some specific words I wouldn't know. I wasn't intelligent in the ways of magic, combat being my only formal training.

"Do you mind having a conversation for a brief moment?" Sader came back to the table with a bottle and two cups along with. I wasn't one to deny the company of someone who I knew and enjoyed having around.

"Of course. Take a seat." I smiled as best I could but work made it hard like usual. I would feel worse tomorrow, I could feel it already.

"Thanks." Sader sat across from me and opened the wine, pouring himself and I some. "Do you know the mages well?"

"No, not at all. I don't deal with magic, never did." It was an odd question to start with but probably not unusual to a typical bar patron.

"I noticed. I think it's time I told you about who gave you that." Sader pointed to the scroll. It just occurred to me that I had completely forgot to ask about why I was given the item. It was not a huge problem at that time but now that I had a step forward in this quest, I was thinking about it more.

"Right, I meant to ask you about that at some point or another."

"Do you remember that Redguard you escorted to the Mage's Guild from here?"

"I think so. It has been a while, so his name escapes me. I know him and his kid were a mysterious duo. Haven't heard about them since then." Sader seemed to get directly to the point still, not a fan of small talk in between.

"Indeed. They probably left Belkarth Guard a while ago but before the father left, he handed me that very scroll and told me to deliver it directly to you. I couldn't say no since he gave me quite a bit of compensation, more than just a typical courier job would pay especially since he was no more than a minute away when he met me. All he said to me on that day was to make sure you didn't lose this or give it away. It is more important than it looks according to him. I didn't think I had to tell you that since you seemed to be responsible enough." Sader took a full cup of wine after speaking. It was much more than he normally said by a large amount.

"Ah. Then I guess this sheds some more light on what this could do?" Sader just shrugged to my question. His enlightenment was apparently run out but it did make sense, at least.

"The mage gave you the information you paid for, so look at it whenever." Sader finished his portion of the wine, leaving me with about half a bottle when he went back to occupy the bar. I didn't know if I would be able to swallow the remainder but it wouldn't go to waste as long as other people were in the bar.


	6. Chapter 6

It took another few cups for me to get to the point of not wanting another drop of alcohol. I wasn't drunk like the other patrons but I surely wasn't completely sober, either. At least I wouldn't stick out of the other drinkers entirely and that would benefit me. Although I was content in my current place working at the shop, the craftsman brought up a feeling I didn't give attention to for a while. He was more than willing to help me start a quest he knew nothing about, giving me pieces of equipment that could have gotten him a large amount of coin. Also, the father from before gave me a scroll that had magical properties out of the blue. I didn't even know where in oblivion this man was.

"Hey, you here alone?" A voice broke me from my thoughts and I was greeted with the face of a Breton with a drunk expression. No bottle in his hand but the signs were clear.

"Yeah, just me but don't think you're going to anything out of me or in me." Drunks were always the worst kind of people to deal with, even compared to monsters or wildlife in my opinion. They wouldn't be intimidated no matter what is said or done. At least with most enemies with brains, the smaller would keep themselves away from the larger predator.

"Sure, whatever you say. You wanna share a drink?" It was a bold question but I expected as much, especially seeing as I had a bottle in front of me and it could have something to do with Sader speaking with me. No matter the race, men were aggressive when it came to other men.

"Yeah, I can do that BUT you don't pour me anything." I wasn't a social drinker, instead keeping to myself in a closed room when I give in to the temptations. The Breton was already eagerly filling his cup he brought, pushing the bottle to me. I took some of what was remaining and the conversation started. It started with the usual flirty questions but the more the Breton drank, the easier it was to avoid that specific subject.

"Did you know those Khajiit things were running around here? The fact they got up here is unbelievable. Anything is getting into the walls lately!" The Breton was rambling like before but this seemed to be a big subject to him. I didn't know much about the smaller races around Tamriel but I did know the Khajiit's were a special one with their diversity.

"Did something happen?" This man was more than ready to spout out anything I asked at this point. The bottle was no longer in my possession, instead in the hands of the Breton and was basically done. It was more amazing that he wasn't unconscious in his seat.

"Of course, something did with someone like that! Rumor has it that this guy at the Red Bird southwest of here knows where to find something he stole. It's odd he doesn't get it himself but that's probably cause this guy is just stupid." The guy was now teetering in his seat. He was finally spent but finished of the bottle anyway and then just simply left. He didn't say anything else and simply took himself to another table. I watched him as he went but shook my head and stood up myself. I wasn't nearly as drunk, barely in fact, but grabbed my scroll and left for my room.

I've been staying in the same room for six months for now. In fact, the Innkeeper actually gave me some more accommodations than I had when I first stumbled through the door on that first day. The room I rented now had not changed, officially taken away as an available room to rent until the day I was gone. Below the bed was where I stored my equipment but it was getting worn from not being used. It wasn't great to begin with but probably couldn't even kill a goblin like it did before.

"I don't know if I should go or not. I have support and coin already but I just…don't know." Once again, I spoke to myself aloud to hopefully work through the problems that plagued my mind. I had apparently gotten too used to the normal life of someone who was living to do just that quickly. What I am doing now was much, much closer to my earlier life when I was a working soldier. I always did envy to get back to my 'previous life', as I call it.

"Okay, I have to see what I paid for." I sunk into my chair, the frayed scroll laying on the newly made table. It didn't look any different, not even a special glow some magical items gave off. There was no way this could have magical properties. The paper crinkled slightly and I made sure to take my time to not ruin it.

"What in Oblivion?" I was met with what I almost expected but was disappointed to see the scroll was entirely blank. No marks, no words, nothing to show any magical evidence.

"Those mages did nothing and took my coin anyway?!" I flipped the scroll over to see nothing around again. I continued to look at the paper to see if my eyes were tricking me but there was still nothing. I scoffed and carelessly threw the wasted time onto the floor behind me. My head was pounding in both disappointment and the alcohol. I didn't drink often, barely anytime at all, but I knew I was a lightweight. I held my head for a moment and that was all I remembered until the next day.

When the next day came, I had ended up half on and half off my bed. My head was still irritated but that was to be expected. It was still dark in the room, meaning I put out the candles before I collapsed. The noise was silent inside the Inn and the darkness outside only contained the normal shuffling or noises from anything crawling in the degradation of criminality outside.

"I guess I have no choice…" I sighed and flipped so I was on the bed entirely on my chest. I couldn't remember at all what happened while I was asleep, but I came to a realization. My destiny was to stop Jagar Tharn. I couldn't get away from it and my mind would never stop distracting me about it, either.

For a few hours until the sun first shone itself and the night dwellers went back into hiding, I distracted myself with what I could do next. It was very clear what I had to do but it would be odd to go back to the craftsman after denying his help the day before. After that, I had to track down any information on Fang Lair. Of course, in between all of that, I had to work on getting better items and keeping myself satiated in regard to basic needs. This was definitely going to be much harder than I could ever plan for.

My gaze drifted around the room without me noticing when it stopped on the scroll from last night that I had wasted my time and money on. All it had on it after all was writing and that was…

"Wait…what in oblivion happened?!" I sprung to life and picked up the supposedly enchanted scroll once again and it did indeed have writing on it. I knew it wasn't a trick of the mind seeing as I had my door locked all night and I glanced over to see that hadn't changed. I carefully tried to open the door from the side I was on and it wouldn't budge. Unless an extremely skilled mage who could go through solid walls, no spell of which to my knowledge had been discovered to this day, or someone in the night decided to find a way into my room through the window, also of which would be impossible because of the glass panes and none of which were broken.

"So, now you're magic?" The scroll didn't have a glow or some special look. It didn't change at all since last night other than the new writing. I took a deep breath and sat back at the desk and rolled the scroll out to see just one thing on it.

'Rajhin the great Khajiit thief is rumored to have had great skill but also an incredibly valuable ring that added to his reputation. An individual in the Red Bird Inn in Belkarth Guard is said to know its location.'

"That looks familiar…" It took a moment but the conversation from yesterday with the drunkard who had his way with my complimentary bottle of booze. He spoke of a rumor about that guy, which apparently got recorded on my…scroll?

"So, is that all you can do?" I flipped the scroll to its opposite side but seen nothing. My suspicion about the scroll being an illusion of some sort came back in droves. Although it would be hard to make two sides enchanted to show different things, there were many powerful wizards that could so such a thing without a problem. Even an apprentice in magic could do such a thing by accident if they tried enough times. I have seen many young mages do something stupid or dangerous not thinking before trying something new or above their skill level. That was one reason, if not the biggest reason, I didn't dabble in magic. Swords were predictable but reliable even in the hands of a child with little practice.

"I guess that's it, then. Still a waste of money. I wonder how much I have left after this waste of my hard work." I clumsily flipped the scroll to its original side and seen just as I had before, a list of what I possessed. I stared at what I had now seen for a few moments before my hands gripped the sides of the paper. I quickly flipped the parchment over and over again before I put together what really happened.

"What in Oblivion does this thing do?! I thought you had that rumor before!" I looked around the room to the window and door to see if anything suspicious was happening but it was just me as I wasn't quite expecting. I looked back just in time to see something I haven't seen accomplished even with the greatest minds in the Imperial City. The list of items I saw was gone and the log of the Khajiit thief from before was just done…reappearing. Its writing was magically showing up on its own!

I was standing in front of the Mages Guild, enchanted paper in hand, determined to find out what exactly was discovered. I could not imagine what sort of godly mage could make this happen. Unfortunately, I couldn't find out where this was obtained from precisely because Sader got it from someone he didn't know and disappeared right after. The best and only lead I have is the master wizard that no doubt identified the magical properties of my item.

As before, the interior of the building was quiet, even void of brewing potions. The books were still orderly and it was extremely clean. I was afraid there were no current tenants until I spied the resident mage working on what looked like an inscription of his own on one of the side tables in the spaces between walls. He noticed me without glancing and stopped his work to speak.

"Welcome back, Tenyin. What brings a busy woman like you back to me this soon?" He ruffled with items around his work station while waiting for my response. I didn't need to think about it, having my topics memorized before I left the Inn.

"I have questions about the item I asked you to look at. There is something different about it, much different than any magic I have yet to experience elsewhere." The mage snickered and turned, his eyes looking down to me inquisitively. This was not the look I was expecting to get from the man who was a senior to many magic users.

"I was hoping you would come with questions. I coincidentally have many for you about that very item." I was taken aback at the response, not knowing what he could ask seeing as his eyes should have seen everything first.

"Hold on. Why do you have questions? Don't you know what this is?"

"Indeed, I do. It is an enchanted scroll, not a doubt in my mind there. The problem is that I don't know how it works. I may be intelligent but it certainly seems like something from the Divines themselves or some Deadra Lord but I surely hope not there." The mage was being surprisingly honest but without anything to lose on his end, it was partially expected.

"I'm not sure. I got it from a random person. I didn't even see him personally, a friend of mine said he got it from someone he didn't even know. I would be happy to show you a few things about it and maybe you can get some knowledge from it." The wizard lifted an eyebrow and nodded. I had practiced with the scroll for a few hours before coming to the Guild Hall, finding out many new things. This wasn't a tool that could be used in combat but was too valuable out of combat.

"I feel bad that I cannot have it for an extended period of time, but I would be honored to see what can be done with it." The mage's eyes were glued on the item. No doubt he was mystified by the possibilities of abilities and advancements of magic. I didn't keep him in suspense and unrolled the parchment to be flat on the table. I would start with something that I considered to be on a smaller scale than most other things I could do. It took me a few seconds to have a section of the area of Belkarth Guard begin to manifest on the paper. The mage's eyes widened and he lowered himself to get a closer look at what he was seeing.

"You can touch it. I want you to know what this is, especially since I had you look at it first." The mage nodded his head towards me and turned the scroll towards himself. He immediately started fidgeting with the map itself and his enthusiasm grew with every passing second.

"This is amazing! How much can you do with this?" I pulled the scroll back in front of me and the mage patiently waited. I made the map leave until it was blank yet again. The next thing I brought up was something I didn't figure out until later in my experiments. I could not do much but something exciting.

'Buckler, Broadsword' Two items were listed on the parchment alone. The mage waited but nothing else shown up. His eyes drifted to me, presumably waiting for an explanation.

"This doesn't look like much but I'll show you something very impressive." With that, I tapped the buckler item and it appeared literally out of thin air to my left. I gripped the handle and took a step back from the table. The mage moved the scroll back towards him and his gaze bounced from the buckler to the scroll.

"Where did that come from? Is that yours? Where was it originally? What kind of magic could it have been? Can you do that for anything?" The mage spit out questions as fast as possible and I certainly couldn't follow along entirely.

"Calm down, please. One question at a time or at least only the most important ones." I set the buckler down and the mage stopped speaking, looking away to probably sort out his questions.

"Of course, excuse my actions. Hm…do you own that item?"

"Yes. It is from my room at the Inn, in fact. The broadsword is also sitting in the same place."

"Ah. How did you figure out about this magic?" That question was not as easily answered and in fact was something I had to think before answering. I did wonder about that before coming but I was certainly not knowledgeable enough in magic to get a concrete answer.

"I cannot say for sure but I think it is some sort of exceptionally advanced teleportation magic. Do you know of anything of this sort?" Having a master in magic to help me would be my best bet to get the mystery solved quicker.

"I cannot say I have. Other Guilds or other races even might know more but I cannot say I came upon anything yet. I am severely sorry to disappoint you."

"Don't be sorry. You already did more than I could ask for, especially with meeting with me at this short notice. I could not be any more thankful to you." The mage smiled and moved the scroll back towards myself. I tapped the 'Buckler' item once again and it disappeared to its original location.

"Thank you for the compliment and understanding. Can you do that for anything you have like your clothing or other things that may be on your person?"

"I can only do that for things I don't have on me at that time. I'm not sure exactly what I can do since I haven't figured any of this out until this morning." The mage nodded and finally broke eye contact with the magic item.

"This is certainly an amazing advancement in magic. Although I know you need this at the current time but would it be possible for you to ever…donate this item to the Mages Guild for research?" As bold as it was to ask for something so quickly, the mages are always looking to gain more knowledge no matter where they were based.

"At some point, possibly. There is no telling what can happen but I will consider your request." As I spoke, the two items disappeared quickly. The parchment ended up blank and nothing else showed up. The rest of the stuff I knew could happen were not nearly as interesting as being able to teleport and grab things from almost anywhere.

"That is acceptable. Then do you need any more help?"

"Not that I can think of but how much am I compensating you for this visit?" The mage shook his head at my question.

"I do not want any of your gold. I am simply honored I was able to see this discovery first hand. Please, take your item keeping my question in mind."

I was standing in front of the Maker's Tool Shop, thinking about what I could say to the man who I idolized for what he did for a stranger. Despite it being his job to be friendly to anyone he would consider a customer, he has since treated me as an acquaintance and sometimes even a friend. Since I left the Mages Guild and deposited my unbelievable scroll securely in my room, I was reflecting on what I could possibly say after the events of the day before. Although I didn't exactly do anything negative before I left, quite the opposite with the events before our initial talk, I still felt like I had betrayed the most important person in my life since I almost got murdered.

"I'll just go in and tell him that I…made a mistake…about what I have to do…" With a heavy heart, I pushed the reinforced doors to the Maker's Tool Shop and instantly felt the inviting warmth that came with having an active forge in the building. I didn't notice while making my way here how cold it was in this part of Hammerfell at times and my body shook in response to the sudden change in temperature. The craftsman was working at the far end of the building, oblivious to my entrance or maybe purposely not giving me attention. It was impossible to tell.

The walk from the entrance to the work area was taken in short strides as I tried to decide how to deliver the news of what I had planned overnight. It would be very hard for me to admit what I had to do but by the time I stood across from the craftsman on the opposite side of his anvil, I was composed enough. As a previous knight to a great army and a spokesperson for an entire race of people, I was skilled at keeping myself collected while speaking.

"Sir, I have returned." I stared at the craftsman, who continued to work. It was only when he put his hammer down that he returned my gaze.

"I noticed. Did you enjoy your day off?" The craftsman wiped his forehead and stood straight, unmoving in his emotions and intentions.

"It was…enlightening. Much needed, though."

"Probably chatting up the locals, seeing as you aren't the person to keep yourself locked up in the pub with the drunkards. Ready to continue to work?" This was the question I was waiting for, mentally ready but it couldn't give the answer right away.

"I…I can't work anymore. I have to do…things." The craftsman sighed and looked over his shoulders.

"So, you finally accepted your quest, huh? Like all the others that thought they could live."

"I can live well enough! I am trained decades more than the other ones!"

"I know. You are much more competent than any others that I have met and seen leave. In that way, I have no fear you will be back someday, but I ask once more about my gifts I want to give you." Getting straight to the point was easy for this man and saying no to him was even harder. Not because he was intimidating or pushy, it was his extremely charitable aura he seemed to always have.

"Are you…entirely sure?" It was a question with an obvious response, but I couldn't have regrets.

"You made it for yourself, indirectly, and finding a way to sell it would take a while. Yes, it is yours to do with what you will. I would like for you to use it, but you can sell it if you want as well. When are you going to leave, then?"

"Immediately. Although I may not precisely be leaving Hammerfell entirely, I will be traveling around."

"I see. Then all I ask is you return one day to at least tell me how you are and more importantly, so I know you are still alive. Can I ask you of that?"

"You can ask me anything! You've done more than I could have ever asked of one person. What else do you want when I am finished?" It was a big request to make and I was assuming I would have my original position back and assuming more things would end up well after I took care of Jagar Tharn.

"I just want you to come back, let my old bones rest knowing I have helped someone farther than just my small shop."

"Of course, I will be back anytime I return anywhere close to Hammerfell and after that. We will both be at the apex of our lives, I guarantee."

"Indeed. So, can you tell me what your next steps are?"

"As much as I know, I can."

It took a few more hours for the craftsman and I to talk and say our temporary good-byes. The sun was setting when I exited the shop, equipped in my specially and sturdy made armor. The plates felt very comfortable and it was one that would be able to take quite a beating without faltering. I never wore anything I had made but I never had a customer return to give me an opinion. By the time I had returned to the Inn, the armor was far more comfortable to walk in. A couple of people were leaving when I arrived and there wasn't much of an exchange when I had walked in between Sader or the Innkeeper and me. The armor might have been a giveaway, but they just nodded and continued with their duties. It was to be believed that after being in an environment that rumors constantly revolved, the owners would be used to discerning fact and fiction. The next day would be the official start of my journey to see if I could overthrow Jagar Tharn or lose my life doing so.


	7. Chapter 7

I could only give casual farewells to the Innkeeper that initially hesitantly housed me and has since with pleasure. Sader kept his neutral face but I was hoping he was feeling something with my leave. It was hard for me to keep my stature after the bitter goodbye with the Craftsman, but I managed it as I spoke for the Innkeeper for the last time.

"Got all of your stuff and ready to go, then? Having you around this long makes me feel like I'm going to miss you. Not to mention I won't have anybody to put in that room of yours except for drunks most of the time." It was the most heartfelt sendoff I will get from a man as business minded but I respected it none the less. I easily can take it as what it is meant to say underneath.

"Don't worry, you'll get someone with all the business that came in recently." The Innkeeper huffed and nodded. Sader kept quiet, looking but working as well. I knew he wasn't someone who got sentimental. Not unusual for a Redguard, possibly one from an original family from Yokuda before it was sunk into the ocean.

"Probably. Anyhow, stay safe." That would be the end of the conversation, but I still needed a direction, something to go on and I had at least a topic to ask about.

"I do have one thing. Have you heard anything about a place called Fang Lair? Maybe a rumor about someone who could know something?" A shrug dashed the possibilities of having an easy start but Sader spoke up finally.

"Start in the more populated area, specifically Rihad. It is a much larger place that can most likely get you started with what you have to find." I couldn't say I remembered the locations of every place but that did sound a bit familiar. Although the oddity of the sudden and partially specific answer did make me think there was more I wasn't being told.

"Okay but how would you know that?" The Innkeeper glanced over his shoulder and Sader looked down after the gazes of the two met. Weird behavior but I pulled out the scroll that was given to me by a stranger and unrolled it. I knew what I wanted, and it instantly filled the parchment with what it was. When I set it on the bar, both Sader and the Innkeeper looked extremely surprised. I didn't want to explain the magic the simple item held.

"Can you point out where Rihad is here?" The map didn't show just Belkarth Guard like it did before but instead showed the entirety of Hammerfell. It had on it three symbols and light brown lines connecting the symbols. The smaller homes most likely signified much smaller towns. An elongated home like the one that symbolized Belkarth Guard itself signified towns that were larger but haven't reached their largest size. Those largest cities were shown by a castle structure and unfortunately, Sader slowly pointed to a castle structure on the southern point of Hammerfell.

"There. Is this that thing I brought you all those months ago?" I just nodded and rolled the parchment back up and pushed it below the plate chest piece the Craftsman graciously gave me.

"Indeed, it is. It turns out it is much more magical than it looked to be. Well, at least I have something. I appreciate your generosity while I was in need, both of you." The two nodded back, the scroll no doubt plaguing their mind now.

The weather outside was getting warmer but the snow still fell. I was going to miss the easy life I could live if it wasn't for the mission I had to complete. I seriously doubted Ria could contact anyone else with her living, or the lack of living in her case, situation. I had a place to start, whether it be just leading somewhere else or not.

Although I wasn't too fond of owning animals or the care they required, I couldn't get to Rihad on foot without it taking months, assuming I even made it after the first night. It was inevitable that I would be in my current situation, using a horse to go from town to town. It was a long trip to Rihad and the time both in between towns in the wilds and the unfamiliar inns did not work well with my lifestyle. The quick change from falling snow to constant sun didn't help me either, getting hotter in my armor as I rode along. Eventually, I had removed my armor entirely and used the scroll to hold it in whatever void it did. During the nights housed in a safe location, I continued to experiment with the magical item, being able to hold items but not in a room of any sort. They disappeared rather completely out of sight, but I could bring them back in seconds and even equip them on and off instantly. That was all I could manage for now, though. The Afterdark Society apparently stalked everywhere when the sun went down and a couple nights I couldn't help but struggle to sleep. They were getting bolder and more seemed to answer the call, no doubt the effect of Tharn having his way around the entire continent of Tamriel.

When I had reached Rihad roughly twenty days later, it was a welcomed respite indeed. My timing could not have been any better, arriving in the morning. I risked the journey through the enveloping darkness with just a lantern for illuminating the path ahead. I had heard from someone I had passed while in last town that Rihad was just a night's travel away and I knew the sooner I arrived, the sooner I could do what was needed. I was subtly hoping that one night, Ria could contact me, so I could ask more questions, but she had been quite since Belkarth Guard.

When I arrived at the front gate with the sunrise at my side, I cautiously checked around myself and gave my horse a much-needed rest. She was breathing heavy, but thankfully had no injuries on the journey I had risked. In the time it was just us, I had gotten quite attached to my new quest companion. I would be with her for however long this journey lasted but I knew some places she would not accompany me or could not. I would not put her at risk for places such as Black Marsh and I was not going to take her overseas, either. The Altmer of Summerset Isle were extremely unkind to anything other than their own, even having suspicion of their own at times, much less to an animal of said person.

It was not a surprise to see that the wall around Rihad was taller and looked to be much stronger than the smaller settlement. The entrance I came up to had a solid steel gate with no visible way to break it down except with siege weapons. It looked magic impervious, even.

Inside, there were two guards vigilantly keeping their eyes on anything that could pose a threat. I was not intimidated in the slightest and found a place to house my companion until I needed her again. With the debt paid in advanced to hold her, which apparently surprised the stablemaster who didn't ask for gold right away, very surprised that I had some to spare it seems.

"You're sure? We don't have many people from outside the walls who have this much gold saved up as of late." He was speaking of what Jagar Tharn had done to Tamriel under the guise of the Emperor.

"Please, don't worry about me. Although, I do have a question for you if I may impose for a few minutes." The man flashed a smile.

"Of course, of course! Please, come in out of the heat and let us talk. My assistant will make sure your mount is given the best treatment." Both the stablemaster and his assistant were Redguards but were dressed much differently than the ones in Belkarth Guard and acted much less conceited. With Rihad existing on almost the southern tip of Hammerfell, it was no surprise that the locals had a lot more experience with other races coming and going, their dress showing it as well. It wasn't specifically Redguard fashion, rather general clothing that was much thinner than the northern wear.

The stablemaster led me to his home, a well decorated place with a fair share of windows and other holes in the walls that hot air could escape from. He looked to be having no problems keeping himself in business and well-fed, a rare sight in how hard things were today for anybody other than Innkeepers or combat item merchants.

"So, what is it you would like to know?" The man offered me water and I couldn't see myself refusing well-mannered hospitality after being on the road for so long.

"I would like your opinion on the best Inn. I need a place to rest while I figure out what I am doing next." It was straight to the point. Sader had suggested I come to this place and now that I was here, I had to figure out what my next move was going to be.

"Ah, there is only one I can recommend. Despite what the name may say, it is a great place to relax and even the bar fights don't cause trouble. You would be looking for the Dirty Serpent." It definitely sounded like a seedy place, but there was no reason not to check.

"Right, then. Can you tell me exactly where it is at?" While speaking, I carefully pulled out the scroll I held in my shirt. I was still not confident in that it was indestructible and treated it with care. When I had it laying flat on an empty table, the map of Rihad had already shown up. The magic I knew it could do were not hard to activate anymore, only having to think about what I wanted was enough to get the scroll to start its work. The man wasn't shocked to see someone pulling out parchment, but only when it was not being used for what he thought did his mouth drop.

"Did someone make you that map?" I was not looking for the man to ask a question, but I knew they were going to come up eventually.

"No, this map is special. Can you please tell me where it is?" The man nodded and pointed at a gray box that, when he gestured at it, began to change color and writing appeared without anyone picking up a quill. The man immediately took a step back and looked back and forth at me and the item.

"What kind of magic is that?!" He didn't sound alarmed, rather amazed but I didn't have time to explain the intricacies of what I was using. I didn't even know myself how this did anything, either.

"I do not know myself. Thank you for your help and I will be back for my companion in time." As I spoke, I rolled up the scroll and bowed. The man bowed back after a moment and I left the home without speaking again.

It took a few minutes to get to the Inn the stablemaster spoke of but when I stepped inside, I was greeted with a cool breeze and a pleasant sight. The Dirty Serpent was indeed not sleazy as previously thought. The walls had a lower strip of cobblestone and the majority was lined with treated wood. It was a better first impression than the Crimson Chasm, but I still felt out of place. The tables were not packed but had a customer or two at each table, filling the empty space nicely. I would be able to find something here, no doubt information that could get me moving again.

The Innkeeper this time was a tough looking Redguard, but he didn't have anyone helping him. He continuously scanned the room, more vigilant than anyone probably should be. I avoided direct eye contact with him, making my way to a table with just one other person. I took the spot farthest from him, not wanting to socialize but rather eavesdrop. I knew I wasn't going to drink a drop, as well.

It took less time than I expected for someone to come up to me, a hand dropping to the table in front of me to get my attention. I was on edge instantly but glanced to the person leaning over the table. He wasn't drunk, surprisingly completely sober from the looks of it or at least able to hold his alcohol extremely well. He wasn't smiling but rather had a worried look on his face, another odd sight in any Inn. I couldn't see any features other than he was clearly a Dunmer, seeing as no other race has ashen skin.

"I need help badly. Can you get something for me?" His voice gave the tone of urgency, speaking quickly and not choosing the best words to get what he wanted. It was safe to assume he asked a few other people before myself.

"That depends. How many others have you come up to so far and asked that?" He answered almost immediately.

"Anyone who would listen. Can you help me?" Again, he sounded nervous and his persistence wasn't helping.

"Calm down, first. Sit, tell me what you want me to do and I will consider it." I wasn't about to do any work that was thrown at me like a low-life mercenary. If anything, seeing if I could make an information trade with this fidgety elf would work more in my favor. He hesitated but eventually sat down, his fingers constantly moving. His robe stopped me from seeing if he was the doing the same with his feet.

"I don't have much time to speak. I had someone deliver a reagent of mine, a lock of ghoul hair, to the Mage's Guild for safe keeping and I need to collect. The problem is that I have other places I need to visit but my mission I was given is very time sensitive. I need the do not have enough time to find the location of all the places I need to find. There are two others out searching for the other shops I had more items delivered and I have my own I need to find. I will pay you for your services, but I NEED the item today. Can you help me?" The Dunmer spoke quickly again, but I heard enough to figure out what he needed. I was worried about why but that wasn't my concern right now. It probably wouldn't be either, especially since I do not care for magic myself, no matter the school.

"I can do that, BUT I do not want money. You can keep it. Instead, how about you help me out with information and I will consider my services paid for." If I could get what I wanted to know tonight, tomorrow would be the continuation of my journey and closer to keeping Tamriel from falling into the hands of a traitor.

"Okay, what is it you want to know about?"

"The location of a place that is supposed to a legend. The Fang Lair." The Dunmer looked down at the table, but the fidgeting of the fingers didn't end as he was thinking. He looked back up at me, just now did I notice his oddly colored eyes. They were a maroon color, close to what you'd think of as demon eyes.

"I can only tell you this. There is one person who knows where that is, and you won't find them at any Inn. Visit the palace and ask the Queen. She can tell you about that, but be warned it will not come without a price of some sort. I promise that is all I know." I stared at the man, who continued to twitch impatiently. The Queen would know about something like that, but I wasn't sure how I would get in that easily.

"Do you know how I can get in? They don't let commoners anywhere close to the interior of the palace."

"Yes. Simply tell the guards 'Lej gives me authority to move freely'." My eyes widened, and I leaned forward, the Dunmer leaning back in shock.

"Lej? Where has he been? How do you know him? What kind of authority does he hold?" Things were getting weird again. I haven't thought of Lej since I first seen him at the Inn, seeing as he disappeared afterwards.

"Wha-I don't know anything about where or what he is doing. He talks to me but doesn't stay in one place. What is your problem now?" I glimpsed past the Dunmer and the table in front of the direction I was looking had their eyes glued on me. I didn't notice I was attracting so much attention.

"Nothing, just thinking about something. I'll get your hair and be waiting for you." The Dunmer immediately stood and rushed out the door without another word. Some of the patrons looked back at me but most ignored the scene, as it wasn't odd to have disturbances with alcohol.

Some time passed before I decided to act on my end of the deal with the Dunmer. I was constantly thinking about Lej, in a lot of ways. He left days after I arrived in Belkarth Guard, helping to get me on my feet at least. I could try to see if this Dunmer could lead me to him, but the problem is that it could lead to nothing but a waste of time.

The Mage's Guild in Belkarth Guard was much closer than the one here, increasing the time I had to take to find my way around. I knew I didn't have to use my scroll since I wasn't going to make the Guild a constant stop, but I wasn't about to show my enchanted item to everyone just to get to the building quicker. From the door of the Inn, I continued to get pointed west for what seemed like forever. When I had found the location of the Guild's building, it was a lot different than the other I visited. This Guild Hall had a wall surrounding what would be considered the area of the property and a large area around the outside wall. It looked like the location was outfitted for spacious room that mages could highly abuse if a fight ever occurred.

The biggest difference in decoration was the color variance between this one and the bright blue walls of the other. This Guild Hall was largely a light brown with clear wear with copper or brass detailing to show the importance. There seemed to also be a large lack of trees and bushes and the like. The two things that were similar of both locations were the hanging sign above the door that was the official symbol of the Guild as well as there being many windows.

The interior differed little to the other, there just being more items around and more books collected on the no doubt couple dozen bookcases, if not more hidden in niches. Even the table in the center of the building looked bigger but I doubted that. It was probably an illusion of the space. The mage that inhabited the majesty was too absorbed in his work and only heard me when I was feet from him. He turned to face me, and I got to see his full dress. He looked to dress much less like a magic user than others, wearing just a thinner material that was more comfortable to the region. His clothes were brighter than others around, consisting of mostly brighter blues and greens with metallic accents. His top was in the style of a tunic and his pants were clearly bigger than his legs to make it easier to walk and work in. Though his physical looks didn't seem to fit the traditional mage type, looking much younger and having swept back style hair that showed off his more feminine features. He was a Breton for sure, not that it was a surprise seeing as after the High Altmer of Summerset Isle, Bretons were by far next in line to be the most powerful race that could use magic.

"You are new to Rihad, I imagine? May I get your name, Miss?" Although he wasn't as old as other mages that have practiced the trade for decades, this Breton was just as well-mannered.

"I am Tenyin Mariner. I came to pick up an item by request for a Dunmer." The Breton tapped his chin and looked to the ceiling.

"I see. I have not had any items given to me directly, but the Grand Wizard might have." It took but a moment for me to register what he had said, and I was taken aback.

"Wait, you aren't the head Wizard here." The Breton shook his head, a light blush coming to his cheeks.

"Unfortunately not, Miss Mariner. I appreciate the thought, but I am the apprentice under her. She should be coming back soon, in fact."

"I see. Then may I stay until she does return? I will not cause trouble." It was a large request to ask to loiter in a Guild Hall with how busy they could be but also with what sorts of things were done in such a place. Getting the opportunity to stay would be very helpful.

"Please, don't act like I am a guard. I don't need to know your background to sense you are a mature woman. Stay as long as you like, and I will inform you of her return."

"Thank you very much, Sir!" I instinctively bowed in respect.

"Again, I appreciate the thought. You must be a soldier or a retired one. Our facility is at your disposal." The apprentice mage bowed back and turned back to what he was doing before at the table. I decided I would read up on the hundreds or thousands of books this building held, amazed by the work that must have been done by any number of people to figure out all of the information.

I lost track of time and was sitting on the floor of the Guild, which was still comfortable, when the apprentice tapped me on the shoulder. My head shot up to see him leaning over me.

"The Grand Wizard has arrived and is waiting for you. Please, come along." He held his hand out to me and I took it. He hoisted me to my feet and I went with him out of the alcove of bookshelves to see a beautiful woman standing at the large table. She wore a flowing dress that didn't have a hint of blue or green, the typical colors that mages tended to wear, but instead was a perfect white. It hugged her body from top to bottom, covering her arms to her wrists and flaying out a little as it reached her ankles. Surprisingly, she didn't seem to be wearing footwear of any sort, but it only showed more of the biggest trait of her body. The white dress went perfectly with her flawless and yellow skin, the skin color that belonged to only one race in Tamriel: The Altmer of the Summerset Isle.

"You seemed to be quite entranced by these books. My apprentice could not get you to look away without pulling you himself, by the looks of it. You have been the one waiting for me, correct?" The woman spoke, her voice smooth. It was a blessing with how perfect the Altmer were to some, and I felt myself momentarily entranced by that very thing.

"Uh, yes. I was hoping you could help me with getting an item that was allegedly dropped off." The Altmer woman nodded and left without a word, leaving me with the Breton. He said nothing as well, standing in place. He seemed to be waiting, but the woman didn't return quickly. Time seemed to stand still as she took more and more time out of sight.

"You seem fidgety. Is something wrong?" The apprentice spoke up out of nowhere.

"No, nothing really. I was surprised at someone like…THAT to be on the mainland."

"Indeed. It was unusual to have an Altmer take the position this close to one of our important locations, but she has long since proven her loyalty." That was not entirely correct, at least that is what I believed. With the history of the race, I was almost sure the woman would never be entirely trusted.

"Hm." I didn't know how else to respond but it wasn't necessary seeing as the Wizard came from a direction opposite she came from with nothing in her hands. Could I have been taken advantage of for some reason?

"Might I ask who the item is for? I cannot be sure of exactly what it was if I do not know who this is regarding."

"A Dunmer asked me to retrieve it. It was apparently for the Redguard named Lej." The Altmer reached into the top of her dress and pulled out a very small leather bag.

"Unfortunately, it is for him. Make sure it gets to him but do not delve deeper into his affairs. It is for the best, I assure you." The Altmer handed me the bag and I made the item disappear into thin air instantly. The Breton looked puzzled, but the Grand Wizard seemed unfazed.

"I don't really want to get wrapped up in whatever he has planned. I have my own quest to finish."

"Good. Do you need anything else while I am here, Miss?"

"Not right now, ma'am. I thank you for answering my question."

"It is no problem. If you need anything else, I will be here to help." With a last bow, I left the Guild Hall and was greeted with the blinding light. It seems I had been in the building long enough that it appeared to be late morning. I was not told when to retrieve the item by and I was certainly not going to waste my day waiting. If the Dunmer was not waiting for me when I arrived, then I would not be seeing him again by early evening.

Before I ventured back to the Inn, I explored Rihad a little and checked on my steed to see how she was doing. The stableman and his helper, unsurprisingly, was keeping her well taken care of but I was relieved to be able to see her. I felt better knowing that even being gone as long as I have from my comfortable lifestyle, it was not always going to be stressful. Although, that part was coming up soon and I certainly knew that.

The Inn was less busy when I returned hours ago, the sun starting to set but no less bright. The former patrons were all but gone and it was emptier at this point. A couple drinkers were scattered among the large room and to no surprise, the Dunmer from before was staring at me. He seemed very nervous, the twitchy nature more evident than before. I couldn't tell how long he has been sitting and waiting, but it was more than apparent he needed my attention. I couldn't imagine ignoring him or what he would do to get what he wanted from me.

"Do you have it?! You were gone for long enough." It was an instant push to the only thing the Dunmer desired from me, the lock of hair. It seemed like such an insignificant item, but Lej apparently needed it for something quite large.

"I was thinking of something. How am I going to be able to see the queen of the palace if she only sees any number of visitors on certain days?" As someone who was previously laboring under Emperor Uriel Septim, I knew the practices of rulers and how specific they were with details. The Dunmer reacted immediately, pulling out an unusual item: A ring. Not unusual because it was a ring but what it looked like. It did not have an immaculate look, rather the farthest from it. It was a rusted, iron band that looked to be picked from a long since dead citizen.

"This will get you in the palaces around Tamriel. Now, can you hand over the item?" The Dunmer set the ring in front of me and his vision moved around my body. He didn't look at me in the eyes, in a hurry to get back to Lej. I wasn't about to make him irate, but I also wasn't ready to be swindled, my hand going over the seemingly useless jewelry. When I lifted my hand once again, the tiny satchel with the hair inside replaced it.

"Here is what you wanted." The Dunmer snatched the bag away, peeking inside and gripping it tightly in his hand after he confirmed it was what he wanted. With no more words spoken, the man clumsily got to his feet.

That was the last thing that happened that day, no more interruptions or surprises. The night was eerily silent as well, not nearly as active during the night as it was in Belkarth Guard. There still weren't guards wandering the streets for protection, but the citizens around were more well equipped. The next day, I continued with the lead Sader had given me, making my way to the palace. It was quite a distance from the town, only being connected to Rihad by a path guarded by many armored warriors. It was a couple of hours until I made it inside the immaculate, smooth cobblestone palace that represented an important point in the province.

"Stop there! Why are you here, citizen?" One of the two guards that stood beside the double doors that led to the interior. It was not a shock to be stopped without any meeting planned.

"I'm here to speak to the Queen." It should have been assumed but I wasn't about to get either of the men angry.

"You are not walking right in. Leave until you are allowed to enter."

"Maybe this will change when that will be happening." I held up my hand, the back of my fingers showing but one thing in particular showing. The rusted band was on my finger since I left to the Inn to get here.

"What is-" The guard growled after seeing the ring and spoke with the other man. They made wild gestures and pointed at me several times. When they were finished, both went back to their post. "Fine, you can go in but know that you and your ilk will not be walking freely for long." I didn't know what the man meant, especially since I was not allied with Lej specifically, only assisting him when it was necessary for me. Whatever the reckless Redguard was doing, it barely seemed legal by the laws set in this city. I wasn't sure how far Lej's reputation reached throughout Tamriel.


	8. Chapter 8

"We aren't safe moving our items!"

"I want my stuff back from those thieves!"

"We need the roads open to keep our city wealthy, though."

"Like that matters to any of you! You don't have to worry about getting robbed since you don't move your merchandise."

One after another, sentences were screamed back and forth with many voices trying to go over one another. It was a massive argument and the large room it was being held in only made the voices echo louder. The inside of the palace was incredibly detailed, a rare copper red stone leading from the door to the throne platform as well as branching off to other rooms. The border of the path had a thin intricate design and the rest of the area was a dark brown smooth stone. Guards were standing off the red stone, numbering at least ten just on the way to the Queen's platform. Speaking of, the arguing people were only doing it amongst themselves while the Queen didn't bother to speak, only observing the two sides scream points at each other. I wasn't even noticed by the crowd, but the Queen did glance at me before speaking up herself.

"I have heard your arguments and will take them into account, but I have another visitor. Please disperse and do not cause trouble." The citizens head shot around to all look around at me at once. It was sudden, and I froze walking forward. From the looks I was given, I had interrupted an important subject. The citizens did break up their argument, splitting up into smaller groups to talk amongst themselves while continuing to shoot glares at me. I couldn't bear socially awkward situations, but the concerned citizens were making the rest of the trip to the Queen's platform exactly that.

"Good day and welcome to Rihad. I cannot say you are familiar to me. Might I ask your name, ma'am?" As expected, the Queen was speaking in a friendly manner. Unfortunately, it wasn't helping to dissolve the uncomfortable feeling I was still feeling.

"T-Tenyin Mariner. I arrived not too long ago." I couldn't speak loudly or perfectly clearly, the aura in the room making it near impossible.

"Then Miss Mariner, welcome to Rihad once again and I do hope you enjoy your stay. I am Queen Blubamka at your service. What is your concern you wish to bring up to me or do you have a request from another city in our resilient province?" The way the Queen spoke was imposing but the way she dressed was entirely common for a ruler. She wore a beautiful silk dress that hugged her body with red and gold trimmings to show off the quality and value. On top of her head was a diadem with three jewels of excellent quality inlaid across the front. Unlike with the Altmer's white dress from before that accented her light-yellow skin, the silk dress of the Queen didn't do the same to the skin of the Redguard ruler.

"Actually, I…do not have that kind of problem. I come with a more…personal question that may lead to a request, if I may be granted the opportunity to ask such a thing of you." I was more than expecting her to deny my request, for me to be escorted out without getting any closer. I have seen multiple people and even entire parties ushered away from an audience with the Emperor if the subject concerned me. If they got violent with the guards that directed them, they lasted only seconds before being forcefully thrown from the throne room.

"That is quite the request. What might this question of yours be?"

"Um…do you know the location of Fang Lair?" The Queen narrowed her eyes, looking directly at me, unmoving.

"How does that place concern you?" It was a sudden change in Queen Blubamka's tone.

"I have a…personal quest I have to complete." I wasn't ready to reveal what I had to do, especially since Ria said no one but myself had to know and wouldn't understand. I wasn't sure if the Queen would be curious or leave the question alone. It was a few moments before the Queen continued, but she didn't stop looking at me the whole time.

"If you want to know about the Fang Lair, then you will get the location out of me only if you can complete something for me. Not long ago, a band of goblins ransacked our palace and grabbed whatever they could get their gnarled hands on. Despite our best efforts, a number of them escaped and took with them some of our treasure. Most consisted of currency or equipment but there was a more important item that was stolen. A simple looking parchment that had on it the location to the very place you are looking to find. The person who was to decipher it arrived a couple days ago and is waiting while I wait for it to arrive." It was a long explanation, but I understood what she was asking me to do. I had to retrieve the stolen items. Though I did have questions that needed answered as well.

"Why can you not find a place as large as Fang Lair by scouting areas around Hammerfell?" It was to be assumed that a place that Jagar Tharn deemed as safe was to be large and protected.

"It has been era's, Miss Mariner. We very much have tried along with help from other large cities, yet have come up with nothing. We feel like the old stronghold is protected or has a barrier of some sort. It is not to be unexpected with a place like that."

"Of course, there is an obstacle like that. Why not send a detachment to hunt down the thieves?" One thing I prided myself in as a Redguard was my military experience, but also my expertise in leading soldiers and giving advice in that area as well. I felt at home speaking of combat.

"Stonekeep, the place that the goblins retreated to and make base at, is not a place that a large number of soldiers could traverse and fight effectively. I could send a smaller amount, but they would need commanded as well and I cannot spare anyone who could fit that role currently. It is embarrassing, but I need help from outside the palace to get one item back: An older parchment. I only care about that parchment, everything else only being a menial loss in comparison. If you were to get that back for me, it could be translated. A courier will to come to you immediately with the information I get from it. I am not one to believe in fate, yet here you are asking about the very thing that plagues me. It cannot be a coincidence, I believe that now." I shared the Queen's belief about the Divines, certainly not thinking they had any effect on my life. Yet, it was true that this all did seem to happen exactly when it needed to. Whether the Gods had an effect on that or not, it could never be proven without a large amount of doubt.

"That isn't mentioning the problems you have internally as well that need to be dealt with. If you agree to give me the location of Fang Lair when I return with the item, then I will leave immediately." The Queen nodded and soon, I was stepping out of the palace with a new quest to complete. The next day would commence with true first step in destroying Jagar Tharn and rescuing the Emperor, assuming he was still alive.

The morning came quickly, and I had to take every minute I could to get to my destination as quickly as possible. I had made the decision to leave my steed in the care of its current caretaker. It would be much quicker if I had taken her, but until I got out, she would be vulnerable to getting stolen or even worse, killed. I didn't feel like I could get attached to a horse like when I was a soldier but after being alone with her for so long, it simply happened.

The total time of the trip to Stonekeep took less than ten days but much more than one or two. Queen Blubamka showed me directly on my map where Stonekeep was, though she said it would be hard to miss when I came close. The group of mercenaries before me have been sent weeks ago, but they didn't return with any news or items. It was assumed that every member died while searching. I couldn't help but chuckle at that detail. As a well-experienced soldier and a survivor of countless battles, I had the feeling these individuals were either unprepared or far too headstrong. The first thing one learns in true combat training is if one goes in with the expectation to win or succeed, they will have a massive disadvantage. One must always expect to have a challenge and put everything they have into their battles.

While thinking to myself, I came across Stonekeep. It was probably wrong to say I came upon it, seeing as its size would mean any number of people would come across it by accident. Just from the view I was getting at the side I was looking at, I could tell the area it covered was massive. It looked to be larger than even a palace, completely made of solid, layered stone blocks. Its size and color could only be compared to that of a stronghold for an army. It was impossible to think that this came under siege from the outside to start with, no doubt in my mind believing something inside had taken control. Either the goblins I was told to exterminate had done so or something hidden or worse…undead. I shivered at the thought of such things walking the world anywhere.

The entrance to the stronghold was as one would expect, a large and fortified iron gate that looked no less than impregnable. Even the crest that decorated it, entirely unknown to myself who it was meant for or represented, was still vibrant. I was not taking any chances, equipping my armor and weapon in preparation for what was lying inside. The rising sun reflected on my newly enhanced equipment. Even now, I could not thank the Craftsman enough for what he let me do despite it using his materials and time.

The brightness seemed to get sucked away when I took my first steps into the defiled stronghold. The banners still hung from the walls, but they were worn and slowly being decomposed by having no care done to them. It was near impossible to see too far in front of me as well as only some of the braziers and stands that held the candles were still burning. Battered statues also decorated the large halls this place held. I took time to inspect all the details I could see without being stabbed in the back, amazed at the history of a place even as common as this. I was always extremely curious in history from anywhere in Tamriel. My foot tapped a broken sign that almost proved this building was controlled by an impressive military force.

"Welcome to Stonekeep. Surrender all weapons to the guards, for we are the keepers of peace. One can't get any friendlier than that." I chuckled at the irony of what was said and what was actually meant. The brief moment of calmness was broken by the sound of door opening not too far away from me. I immediately crouched down slightly and my buckler was in front of me as much as it could cover. I wasn't about to let the enemy attack me first, taking large steps to close the distance between myself and the sound. I was disappointed when all that came at me was an overgrown rat. It didn't open the door, so it was easy to assume the door was already open enough to let the rat push it the rest of the way. One swing and the rat was dead. Unfortunately, the death of the rat seemed to attract a few more and they came at me all at once. One by one, the rats were killed while the ones attacking were deflected by the reinforced buckler. It took but seconds for the weak enemies to fall before me. It would be absurd to think any members of this mercenary group to be taken by simple creatures such as these.

The entry room that the rats were inhabiting made it clear the stronghold was traveled by many, both of the one that stayed or passed through. Despite the age and many struggles that happened both in the early and late past, this place showed it had quite a history. The red carpets over the stone floor was ripped or entirely gone in places showed the direction that no doubt led deeper, although I wasn't sure if I had to go there or if where I was heading was hidden somewhere. Doors both to my left and right could lead to the scroll and goblin I was searching for. I started my adventure by going left to the first door I had encountered.

The next room made me eat my words, as a dead body was partially consumed by the rats or other inhabitants of the ruins. From the looks of how much of the body was remaining, this was a member of the group that was tasked with retrieving the item from the goblins. They didn't look well-prepared after all and barely looked to be organized either. If one died so soon after just arriving at their destination, it would either mean this one broke from the group or was picked off. I would completely ignore the corpse at any other point, but something drew me towards it, a bright blue glow surrounding the item and illuminating the dark room by a bit. I wasn't sure if the group knew about enchanted item, especially seeing as their experience would prove otherwise, but I did know the difference between such items and regular equipment. It wasn't a big item, the item only being a belt that the mercenary had on him, but at the very least it would give me great funds to start with.

"Bless the Divines, I really am turning into one of them. I had better not keep this attitude after this whole thing ends, even if this is partially exciting." I removed the belt from the corpse and it disappeared, moving to whatever void held my items. Beside the body was also a sharp blade, a tanto. It wasn't special in quality or enhancement, but one could never go wrong with making a market on weaponry. I would at least feel good about selling items, seeing as I was not embarrassed with knowing how to make money from largely useless items.

I continued to follow the left wall, leaving from the other door of the square room, to come to an area that led to many other rooms. It only took a few steps into the area for the doors around me to squeak open, although it wasn't the hinges that were making such noises. A wave of rats flooded into the area, fighting to get in front of each other to get to their target: Myself. My buckler came up and my sword raised as the fight started, the numbers not in my favor but the skill advantage certainly was.

A couple minutes later and the enemies were cut down around me. It was a hard fight, the rats at least knowing to circle around me, but I was well-trained enough to know how to keep myself from being surrounded. Though it was much easier with targets that matched my size, it was possible for me to keep them from being able to enclose me. I did come out with injuries, many scratches and bites to my lower leg area. I had some protection for my lower body, but it didn't reach the entire distance, the rats seeing their only means of attack and taking advantage of it. I could see why a member of the group was dead before, although I doubt the rest of the group was around at that time. That meant that he probably died due to too many rats and being unprepared for such a large number, thinking exploring on his own would be better for him. It was a common thought for mercenaries to have, even if they were hired by royalty or for an important mission.

Before I could start exploring the rooms to see if anything else waited inside or if any other bodies could be found, an enemy found me instead. This time it wasn't a large number of weak enemies but one single, difficult enemy. I had made it close to the end of the series of rooms when a minotaur broke through the door at the other side! The hulking, discolored beast with the body of a large man but the head of a full-sized animal wielded a meat cleaver, starting with trying to ram me through with its horns. I was caught entirely off-guard and my instincts reacted before my mind, my legs pushing me out of the way of the impaling horns. The beast continued past my location, the force not letting it slow down easily. When it was at a stop, it stood at its full height that put even my tall race to shame. The beast was easily two heads above me and not even slightly amused.

'Why is there a minotaur in a place like this?! Damn thing is hard to kill even for me alone!' I haven't fought many of beasts of this level even within the presence of a trained company of soldiers, which even then did not go well at all. The beast struck again, this time using its cleaver in a strike straight down. It was easy to move from the basic attacks and the second strike was not well-aimed. The diagonal strike that followed the first brushed past my buckler on my right arm, yet the force was still enough to stagger me. The beast relied on hitting hard rather than hitting accurately, that I knew for sure. It continued to try to hit me one time after another relentlessly. I was not going to get a break and I would not outlast it with stamina. My only option was to injure the beast in a way that would give me the upper hand, the key being his attacking arm.

It was hard to get my chance and I had to skirt around the room, making sure I was either against a wall with both of my sides clear or in the middle area of the room. If I were to get stuck in a corner or in any of the rooms along the border, I would no doubt be killed for sure and Ria would not be able to heal me after what the minotaur would do to me. While the beast was rearing up for another straight strike down, I moved my sword so it crossed my buckler at the bottom. The beast mindlessly came down on me again and I naturally let the cleaver run against the worn metal. With all the strength I could muster in one swing, I pushed my blade upwards in an arc against the arm that collided with it. If the edge were dull like it was before, the blade would have done nothing more than give the beast a small cut. The craftsman made sure I was prepared when I left Belkarth Guard, the edge being sharpened extremely well. It sliced through the monster's arm, not only damaging it but taking the entire arm off and the detached part to make a nasty thump as it hit the ground behind me.

When the situation had registered with the monster, it roared loud enough to cause my ears to ring. It was enraged and even more dangerous than before, but I knew the damage I had caused was substantial. It countered with a hard hit to my buckler with its undamaged arm, pushing me feet away from where I was with pure strength. The last mistake it made was when it lowered its body to ram me again. The shock being washed from my body and replaced with adrenaline meant I was thinking in a battle sense much better now. When the beast sprinted towards me, my reaction was much better than before. I dodged so my blade was inches from the beast when it reached me at full speed and I thrusted it directly into the beast's head when it was easiest for me to get a clean strike. The sword stuck in easily, but it didn't stop it right away. It pulled me along a little until I was able to pull my weapon out again, stumbling to get a distance between myself and the monster. My strike seemed ineffective until the beast tried to stand, instead falling directly to the ground. Adrenaline kept me from calming, my body still ready to plan for another way of felling this enemy. Even when the corpse had no movement, still didn't completely consider the beast killed. It was not uncommon for injured animals and even some people to play dead, only to use that advantage later on to kill their opponent.

It was many minutes of staring at the corpse for me to be convinced it was dead for sure. A minotaur would not stay on the ground if it were still alive, but I wasn't ready to admit that things were safe even now. I stood completely still, slowing my breath as best I could do hear what was around me. It sounded like silence but that was the worst thing I could have was absolute silence. When the heavy tension dissipated, and I felt my body loosen again. The small sounds returned slowly, thankfully nothing coming from close to me again. The room I was in already had enough bodies, many rats as well as a minotaur now.

'Okay, that is enough for now…' I fell to one knee, the arm holding my buckler falling to the ground. I couldn't feel it before, but the constant attacks from the minotaur giving me serious pains in that arm. The adrenaline got replaced by a growing pain. I moved without thinking, instead trusting my body to know where it could go for safety. I ended up in one of the rooms, closing the door immediately behind me. I dropped my weakened body on a raised piece of concrete, putting my back to the corner of the room and facing the door. It made no difference since I had fallen into a light rest.

I expected an interruption during my rest, but I was thankfully undisturbed until I woke myself up naturally. I yawned, slowly stretching my arms and legs to get my joints moving. I fell asleep, but nothing was moving in the room or outside of it. With broadsword in hand and buckler in front of me, I pulled the door inwards to the room I recovered in, only to see that the bodies that were left from the battle before were still lifeless. The minotaur was definitely killed, and relief let me lower my equipment. The door the minotaur busted through only showed me that there was empty air farther into the stronghold that way. Hesitantly, I willed my equipment I was holding to whatever void held my items. I figured I was alone for now, enough to fully explore the area closer and see if I could get any other information on what had happened to either more of the mercenary band or the stronghold itself. This would be a magnificent history piece to add to any Mage's Guild Hall, assuming it wasn't already documented.

"Maybe next time, I should do my research before I jump into action. I still haven't broken my habits as a soldier." The silence was only broken by my remarks to myself as I carefully inspected around the rooms. In once, I had found leftover gold either from a previous visitor or before the stronghold became a monster filled deathtrap. In the same room, an expensive looking belt hung off of a raised concrete slab similar to the one in the other room. The last item of interest was something I could actually use, that being a dwarven helm carelessly thrown into a corner. It was still in good enough condition, not too effected by the years of wear. The glistening, gold colored helm was produced with care, having holes in the front for breathing and very little space for skin to show other than the eyes. The original owner made it clear it was not meant for me, rather someone with a bigger head than my own. It was not snug and moved very slightly when I turned quickly. It was good defense against most attacks, though, especially if another minotaur or something worse decided to try and take a swing at me. I would not be completely defenseless. It might have been from the mercenary band seeing as it didn't have a layer of dust on it and looked to be previously disturbed.

Another room held just a short sword carelessly discarded without the original owner anywhere around. It was the last room that held the most interesting object, a piece of paper. It had faded wording on it, but it was still at least clear enough to read to a point.

"'The King and palace are lost. We, the last survivors of the court of Stonekeep, are heading south through the goblins' caves.' So, the King of this stronghold was killed and everybody who survived the slaughter was going into a network of caves, either made by or previously infested by goblins. That would explain why everything is strewn about with no care. They had no time to get what was special or even necessary most likely." I held a thought for a moment and the note vanished from my hands. In case the Mage's didn't have information on what had happened to this place, it would be good to bring something back. If they did, then it would just be burned and forgotten about.

The final room was the one that the minotaur had broken through, but it didn't house anything special besides a waterway in one of the corners. It was uncovered, and the water was completely still. The most that could come from that would be rats or some other disease carrying vermin. It would definitely not be worth my time to explore through nasty water, no matter the circumstances.

My only option was to come back the way I had originally come. I didn't have much time into the peace that I was thankful for when a horde of goblins attacked me. When the pests were dealt with relative ease, it was clear that the named goblin tunnels were still swarming with the troublesome vermin. Separately they were not dangerous to even a lightly seasoned warrior but a group of them could cut down a matched number of new recruits. They shared one thing with the minotaur and it wasn't the size: their aggressive nature. No matter how much they are damaged, the little things will fight until they are unmoving corpses.

While exploring more of the stronghold and eliminating the weak opponents that stood in my way, I had ended up finding more discarded gold and a mark, a basic looking one. The iron band had a rune inlaid in the metal, something I couldn't begin to understand. I wasn't a user of the arcane arts and this was something I had no experience in using, not even peaking my interest to use it now. I sent it to the void and continued not far from the entrance into a large room that, even in the low amount of light that was present, looked to be decorated better than the rest of the rooms I had come by. This was most likely the way to the throne room of this place, or whatever was presented as the most important chamber.

"I can't say I would have chosen the decoration so far." The most distinct section of the room was no doubt the large water pool that was placed directly in the middle. It was the first thing that was seen, and my statement held more merit in my opinion as well. Whoever originally ran this stronghold before losing it would have not enjoyed my company with how this place was set up.

Following the progressively more tattered carpet showed that there wasn't much fighting happening in this area. The damage to the floor was most likely much nicer when the building was cared for, but vermin and beasts have worn down the quality over the years.

My heart sank a bit when I noticed there was an odd area in the middle of the water, but not because it was a hassle to get to. I was able to swim but the last thing I wanted was to have to go through the stronghold soaking wet. Without a change of clothing, I wasn't about to run around either naked or without a layer underneath my armor. If I needed to get to the area, I would be putting whatever I could into a single leap. It certainly didn't look inviting, either. Posts with arcing energy were in each corner, topped with statues of fierce warriors. A large fountain also took up a large amount of platform, oddly still having a completely functioning water spout, but also an imposing dragon poised for battle.

The rest of the room was decorated with copper fountains, faces letting out streams of water. It was surprising they were still running, yet the streams were nothing more than drains for drips. One thing that stood out for sure and still in good enough condition that looked to be worth something, not that anybody normal could move it at all. Solid, bronze eagle sculptures stood in defiance of all their decaying surroundings. The condition of the metal goliaths was better than the entire stronghold itself so far.

More fighting and rooms greeted me as I finished exploring the remainder of the room, this apparent Goblin King throwing some of his 'warriors' at me but I wasn't about to let them get any hits on me like before. They couldn't get any hits on me and I wasn't even short on breath, tactics not being evident by the green beasts. My instincts told me that the room had to be housing something, especially because of the fact no bodies of mercenaries were found. They must have passed by without noticing anything, but my much more developed senses were too stuck on the fact I was missing something.

My thoughts were proved correct when my eyes landed on a glinting piece of metal laying on its own on the middle platform. I sighed in defeat at the prospect of having to successfully leap to the cramped area, especially with no idea on if anything on it was dangerous. I was stuck with only one choice, though. Whether the key opened something important or not, I couldn't let a mercenary have it. It deserved to be, at the very least, in the hands of someone who could guard it.


End file.
